Stray
by Hecate28
Summary: Our trio of pathologists working day is turned upside down when a young girl enters their lives. (Part of the Erin Series)
1. Picking up a stray

**Authors note: This started off as a one shot but got a bit too long so I'm going to put it into chapters. It's not going to be an epic story of tens of thousands of chapters but I'm using it as a practise run to see if I can keep people in character. This is my first Silent Witness fanfiction so it will be awful but practise makes perfect. Thanks to LadyDalek for persuading me to put this up, I hope it's not as bad as I think it is!**

* * *

Leo pulled into the car park on a gloomy winter morning. The air was still heavy with the night's previous downpour and there was a bitter bite to the wind that morning. He reluctantly stepped out of the warmth of his car and pulled his coat around his to try and keep warm as he made his way over to the lab. As he was walking the short distance, something out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention and he paused despite all his senses begging him otherwise. In the furthest corner of the car park, nearly tucked out of sight there was what Leo could only guess was a pile of clothing, it wasn't until he looked again that he saw it was the form of a body curled up in a tight ball barely moving

With his heart in his mouth he decided to move in to investigate further. As Leo got closer he was relieved to see the body rising and falling as the form took in each shallow breath

"Hello?" Leo said crouching down beside the small form. The ball uncurled itself slightly apparently shocked at the interruption. Leo saw a young female face staring up at him; she didn't appear to be in a very healthy state. Her face was pale and drawn with dark circles under her eyes, contrasting with her ashen appearance. Her dark hair was lank, wet from the rain and tousled by the wind. She had numerous cuts and bruises over her face and he could see bruising on her bare arms all of these injuries looked fresh

"Leave me alone" she muttered forcing herself into a sitting position. She shivered as the wind whipped around her, in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt both sticking to her, clearly soaked through from the rain, she was hardly dressed for winter weather.

"I can't do that" he said gently "What's your name?"

"I said get lost" she stood up suddenly trying to bypass the question, she paused and seemed to sway on the spot, her eyes glazed over and her knees buckled, Leo moved just in time to grab her before she hit the ground.

"It's ok, you're ok" he soothed gently as he helped the girl sit back down

He took off his jacket and gestured for her to take it. She paused for a moment looking him straight in the eyes, as she was weighing up her decisions. Eventually she took it and Leo breathed a sigh of relief as she wrapped it around her shoulders

"You're going to freeze if you stay out here any longer"

"I don't care" she spat

"I do" he said gently "Look, I'm not going to leave you out here for you to solidify. Will you come inside with me just to get warm?" he held out his work pass to show her "I work here, my name's Leo, I'm a doctor of sorts and if you stay out here you're going to become ill and I don't want to let that happen…."

Slowly she nodded her head "Five minutes but no name" she said and he nodded

She gingerly got herself to her feet with Leo lending a supporting arm. He watched her movements and saw her joints were clearly stiff with the cold and now the shivering racked her body as she tried to control it.

He led the way and soon they were in the warmth of the reception to the lab. She started to take his jacket off but he stopped her

"Keep it on for the moment, you need it more than I do" she murmured something in reply which was almost inaudible but hr assumed it was some type of thank you. He was about to open his mouth to speak again when the door to the reception opened again and a man hurried in eager to get out of the cold, the girl started in shock and moved behind Leo

"Leo?" Harry asked questioningly as his gaze shifted for the professor to the young girl

He motioned to Harry to move to a safe distance where the young girl was out of earshot

"I found her in the car park. She's in a bad way; I couldn't leave her out there to freeze. I managed to get her to come inside for five minutes to warm up"

"I didn't know you were in the habit of picking up strays"

"I couldn't just leave her there…."

"I know" Harry's voice softened "What's your plan?"

"We're going to have to phone the police but my main concern is trying to get her warm again. She soaked through to the skin and she's freezing, she nearly collapsed earlier…" Leo's voice trailed off as he looked back at the young girl who whose body was shuddering with each shiver that racked her body.

"Are you taking her down to the labs?" Harry asked casting a wary eye over the girl who was now watching them intently  
"I think I'm going to have to, it's warm down there and she can hardly stay here all day with all the comings and goings"

"If she wants to stay that is" Harry said sceptically

"She's going to have no choice unless she wants to end up in a coffin"

Harry sighed and then nodded "Do you know her name?"

"She wouldn't tell me…"

"I know you're talking about me" the young girl cut in, her tone was strong but the two pathologists could hear the exhaustion in her voice "I'm going now…don't try to stop me"

She shrugged off the jacket and made a start for the door, she was nearly outside when Leo called after her

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know and I quite honestly don't care" she said stumbling forward

"Well we'll probably be seeing you in a few weeks"

"Excuse me?" she turned around, her fists clenched into balls by her side

"We're pathologists…we perform post mortems…"

"Yeah I know that, how stupid do you think I am?" she said scowling

"And by the looks of you, in a couple of weeks it might be you we see on the slab"

"….Like I care" she said defiantly, however the slight hesitation before she answered was enough to let Leo know he had the advantage

"You're dizzy and fatigued, clearly malnourished and showing signs of hypothermia…I'd give you about a month if you carry on like you are"

She turned to face him and Leo saw a defiant glare in her eyes "Maybe this is the path I'm destined for"

Leo shook his head "You're in charge of your own life. You're destined only where you decide to go. Now you can either decide to come with me and we can get you dry and warm, or you can go back out there and freeze, your choice"

She paused and closed her eyes. Leo and Harry watched her closely, after a few tense seconds she moved towards the two pathologists and Leo gave a sigh of relief. He wrapped the coat back around her and with Harry's help gently led her towards the lab, each wondering how one earth the girl had gotten herself into such a state


	2. Erin

**Author's note: I'm putting another chapter up since I was asked very nicely! Hope you enjoy, The plot thickens!**

Nikki was typing away at her computer when she heard a noise outside the lab doors. She looked up and smiled as she saw Harry and Leo come through the door but this soon changed to a look of confusion when she saw a young bedraggled girl come through after them. She was about to ask the obvious when Leo came towards her, the girl following like his shadow

"Nikki, this girl needs something dry to wear. I wouldn't normally ask but I have to sort something out and this is your area of expertise"

Nikki nodded and stood up, still thoroughly confused but concerned enough about the girl not to ask questions. Leo turned back to the girl who was still shivering violently with the cold

"This is Nikki, she's going to find you something dry to wear and help get you warm"

The girl looked up at Leo with pleading eyes "She's a friend of mine, I trust her, no one is going to hurt you here I promise you that. You're safe here; no one is going to make you do anything you don't want to do"

She nodded slowly and through chattering teeth eventually said "Erin"

"Sorry?" Leo said looking confused

"My name…" she shivered

"Erin…" he repeated with a small smile, he was finally getting somewhere with this girl

Nikki gently led the girl across the lab and down another corridor. Leo turned to Harry

"Did you see her injuries?" he questioned and Harry nodded

"She's got finger tip bruising to her arms and she's been hit repeatedly" Harry observed "I wouldn't be surprise if there's a couple of broken ribs or worse"

"So she's either been in a fight" Leo said

"Or she's somebody's punch bag" Leo gave Harry a worried look

"God knows what she's been through" the older man sighed as he watched the girl follow Nikki, her movements were stiff and she held herself slightly hunched over as if in pain

* * *

Nikki sat the girl down on a bench in the locker room whilst she look around to try and find the girl some dry clothes. The only dry and clean things she could find were some scrubs, Nikki grimaced, they weren't ideal but at least they were dry and warm. She passed the girl the dry clothes and turned around to give her some privacy. The girl mumbled her thanks and a few moments cleared her throat to let Nikki know she was done. The pathologists turned back and felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. The scrubs hung off her skinny frame and only served to make her look even sicklier

"I know they're not exactly the height of fashion but they're dry" Nikki said and the girl shrugged clutching her wet things close to her body

"We could leave those here to dry" Nikki suggested gently

Erin looked suddenly panicked but handed over the clothes biting her lip, Nikki accepted the sodden pile but paused when she saw a red stains on the damp pile. She looked up and Erin caught her eye but Nikki only nodded gently but said nothing

"Let's get you back to the lab, it's warmer in there" she said nothing that Erin had started to shiver again

Erin nodded and let Nikki gently guide her back into the welcoming warmth of the lab

* * *

Leo was on the phone in his office keeping an eye out for when Nikki came back in with Erin. He was on the phone to a DI Johnson, a man he had worked with and knew he could trust. He had just finished relaying the events of the morning to him

"…I couldn't just leave her out there. She was freezing cold and she's not in a good way"

"_You did the right thing Leo, it's better for her to be in a safe place for the moment than freezing out there. Did you get a name?"_

"Erin. She's about 5"3, shoulder length dark hair and skinny as a rake; I wouldn't put her older than about seventeen or eighteen"

"_I'll run it through missing persons; hopefully someone's reported her missing. I'll be over as soon as I can. Try and keep her there if you can"_

"Thanks James" he said

"_No Leo I'm the one who should be thanking you, most people would have just walked past her and left her there. You probably saved her life by getting her safe like that"_

The two men finished the conversation and Leo hung up the phone. He couldn't believe that anyone would have just let the girl onto the streets unnoticed. She was in a bad way which made him wonder how long she'd been there.

Leo walked out of his office as he heard Nikki re-enter the lab followed by Erin who was dressed in scrubs which were much too big for her. The girl was still shivering and her lips were tinged with blue. Nikki sat her down at a nearby desk shooting a worried look towards Harry and Leo who had just joined them

"She's freezing" Nikki whispered to Harry who nodded

He crouched down in front of Erin and spoke gently to her "Can I check your pulse?"

"No need, I'm still alive" she said, her teeth chattering loudly

"That I gathered" Harry chuckled "Anyway I need the practise, generally we don't get many visitors down here with a pulse"

He took her wrist and placed his fingers down whilst looking at his watch. "Pulse is weak" she murmured to Nikki

Leo walked over to the three of them holding a mug which he held out to the girl. Erin shook her head and pulled her knees close to her body

"Erin, we need to warm you up" he said gently

"And it's not everyday that Leo makes tea for someone" Harry smiled "That was a hint by the way" he looked up at Leo who shook his head

"You have hands don't you" he said to Harry who just pouted

"Professor Dalton" one of the lab technicians came up to the group "You've got a visitor"

"Thank you" Leo said nodding, taking Harry and Nikki to one side he spoke to them gently "That's going to be DI Johnson. Can you keep her here and calm whilst I go and talk to him?"

The two of them nodded "Keep her warm and hydrated" Leo said through he knew Nikki and Harry were more than capable of handling the situation

"So…" Harry said pulling up a chair "How does a girl like you end up in the car park of a mortuary in the middle of winter?"

Erin shrugged and looked at the floor; Nikki draped a blanket she had found in the lab around Erin's shoulders, shooting Harry a warning look in the process as he quizzed the young girl

"What?" he said raising his eyebrows

"Ignore him Erin…he's too curious for his own good" she said sitting down next to the pair

"Nothing wrong with curiosity"

"It killed that cat" Nikki said

"Ah but that is my secret, I'm a pathologist not a cat and we are immune to the idioms that people will throw at us" he said and Nikki snorted with laughter "Anyway this is the first person we've had down here for a long time who is alive"

"What about me and Leo?" Nikki said with mock hurt

"Leo is from the Jurassic period and have you seen yourself first thing in the morning…" Harry said ducking to avoid a swipe Nikki made at him

The corners of Erin's mouth twitched as she saw the two of them bicker and it did not go unnoticed by the two pathologists

"That's better" Nikki said gently "That was nearly a smile and a pretty one at that"

Erin buried her head in her knees, embarrassed at the compliment

* * *

DI James Johnson was sat in Leo's office gently surveying the young girl from a distance

"And there's no record of her on missing persons?" Leo said sitting down at his desk

James shook his head "No one matching her description"

"Do you think it was a false name?"

"I don't know" the DI shrugged "Someone might not have reported her missing"

"What?" Leo said sitting up in shock "Why would someone not report this to the police, She's someone's daughter, why would you not be worried about your child?"

"It does seem odd, she seems to have been on the streets for a while, though I haven't seen her before and I'm usually quote familiar with the rough sleepers. Maybe she didn't want to be found"

"She's got bruising to her arms. Like someone's grabbed her and she's got cuts and bruises which are the type we'd expect to find when someone's been punched"

"Signs of abuse?"

"Or she got into a fight. Either way she's in such a state. She's showing signs of hypothermia, we've been trying to warm her up but she's going to need proper medical attention soon"

James nodded "You did the right thing…."

Leo sighed "She's just a child…how could anyone let this happen to someone so young"

"You got her here Leo, she's safe now…"

"But for how long…" Leo glanced across at the girl. The girl had been terrified when he had found her, so wet and so cold. He remembered the icy feel of her skin and her sunken eyes which were so cold boring deep into his soul

* * *

**Authors note: Sorry James Johnson wasnt the most creative name I could think of was it? I nearly put Jack Johnson!**


	3. Hypothermia and hospitals

**Author's note: I actually sort of have some idea where this is going now. This story only started off as a one shot but I keep getting all these new ideas and plans! Anyway I'm going to stop prattling on and let you read chapter 3**

* * *

Harry and Nikki were still sitting with Erin when Leo came out of his officer followed by DI Johnson. Erin had said very little and she was still shivering from her time outside

"Erin" Leo said gently "There's a man here who wants to talk to you"

Erin looked up at him with fear in her eyes, she gripped her arms tighter round her knees and her whole body tensed

"Hi Erin" the DI crouched down before the frightened young girl "I'm James and I'm a police officer. Do you think we could have a little chat?"

She shook her head wildly and buried her head in her knees "Not going back there" she murmured

"You're not going back where?" James said gently looking concerned at the revelation

But Erin had clammed up and had nothing more to say on the subject. James tried a different angle

"Erin…you really need to see a doctor. You don't look very well"

"I'm fine" she said and the adults could hear the tears building up in her throat

James looked around at the pathologists for some support.

Harry stepped up to the mark "You've got hypothermia Erin and that's serious. You can't stop yourself shivering, your pulse is weak and when you walk I can see it hurts. Now it can be treated very easily but you need to go to the hospital. If you don't its going to get worse"

"I don't care" she said and as Harry looked down at her hands he could see her fingers were turning a shade of blue

"If you leave it you could die"

"So…" she muttered

"You're just going to throw your life away then?" Leo said

"Why do you care so much?" she said angrily

"We see so far too many young people down here. Don't let yourself be one of them; you have your whole life ahead of you"

Erin was about to reply but before she could, her body shuddered violently. All those medically trained recognised immediately what was going to happen and Nikki rushed her over to the sink just seconds before the young girl threw up

"I'm sorry…" she gasped

Nikki leant forward and held her the girl's damp hair back "You've nothing to be sorry for"

"Nikki can't help having a face that makes people want to throw up" Harry said already anticipating the dirty look Nikki shot at him

Erin let out a small laugh and with Harry and Nikki's help moved back towards the chair.

They were nearly there when Erin's legs buckled and she fell; Harry grabbed her just in time and felt her body go limp in his arms

"Call an ambulance" he said gently lying Erin down on the floor "Can you hear me?"

"Her pulse is really weak?" Nikki as Harry but her in the recovery position

"Yeah ambulance please" they heard Leo say into the phone on Harry's desk "We've got a young female with hypothermia that's just collapsed…"

"I don't want to go to hospital" Erin murmured

"Stay with me Erin" Nikki said squeezing the girls hand as her eyes fluttered closed

"Ambulance is on its way" Leo said and Harry nodded

"She'll be ok" he said to Nikki who looked extremely concerned as she held Erin's hand tightly in her own

"She's so cold" Nikki said fighting back the tears as she squeezed the young girl's hand almost to try and make sure she did not slip away

* * *

The ambulance arrived quickly and soon Erin had been rushed into the hospital. The paramedics had been worried about her low body temperature but they were confident she stood a fighting chance. Leo, Nikki and Harry remained at the lab knowing there was nothing else they could do until the doctor's had checked her over

"What was that all about not caring about her life?" James said perching on the edge of a desk

"When I found her before she started talking like that" Leo frowned

"Do you think she's suicidal?"

"I don't know but whatever she's been through has clearly terrified her"

"There was blood on her clothes" Nikki said quietly

"What?" Leo looked over at the young woman

"When I took her to get changed, there was blood on her clothes"

"Do we still have them here?"

Nikki nodded "They're in the locker room"

"I'll go and get them" Harry said standing up and moving across the lab

He was soon back holding the pile of sodden material. Nikki noticed he'd put rubber gloves on to preserve the evidence. He unfolded the pile and saw Nikki was right. On the girl's jeans was a dark stain of blood, almost impossible to see on the wet patches as the material had darkened as it soaked up the water but where some parts had started drying they could all see the strain of dried blood. Leo exhaled deeply and was about to comment when DI Johnson's phone rang

"Johnson speaking…hang on I'll put you on speaker phone" he pressed a button on the phone as he put it down on the table so all could hear the conversation

"I'm Doctor Myles from the Royal London hospital and I'm in charge of treating Erin"

"How is she?" Nikki asked nervously gripping Harry's arm

"Ow!" Harry winced at Nikki's iron grip

"Sorry" she loosened her grip on Harry

"Don't be" he said gently

"She's got quite severe hypothermia but I'm confident we got it in time. She's also got a couple of broken ribs and a few lacerations over her body but she's in good hands" Doctor Myles said "She's got a fighting chance of revering from this, it helped a lot that you got her in the warm before the cold set in further. We've been trying to get in touch with her mother but we're unable to reach her…"

"You found out her last name" DI Johnson said looking surprised

"One of our nurses recognised her, seems that Erin Jones is a bit of a regular here" the Doctor said sadly "This isn't the best subject to talk about over the phone but we need to get in contact with the mother as soon as. Erin's under age and we need parental consent for the treatment"

"Thank you doctor" Leo said gently

"Oh there's one more thing" Myles said quickly "She keeps asking for a Leo, does that make any sense"

DI Johnson looked across at Leo and smiled "Perfect sense, he was the one who found her"

"If you want to see her then she's in the HDU, just ask at reception"

The conversation ended and both parties hung off the line

"Poor kid" Harry sighed

"I'm going to see if I can contact the mother" James nodded

The group dispersed from around the phone until it was just Harry and Nikki left alone

"She'll pull through, she's in safe hands"

"She was in such a state. How could anyone let their child nearly freeze to death"

Harry had no answer to that question, he couldn't begin to imagine what Erin had been through. All he could do was hope that the young girl would recover from this and that they would be able to find out what lead the girl to stray away and fall into the icy grip of danger


	4. Not giving up

**Authors note: I forgot to put a disclaimer in at the start so….I don't own anything to do with Silent Witness but if I did Nikki and Harry would be together and there would be a lot more of those cute family moments between Nikki, Harry and Leo. Well I can dream!**

The three pathologists tried their hardest to continue with their working day but they couldn't get the image of the terrified young girl out of their heads. The hours passed slowly and none of them could find the energy to distract themselves from the ever growing pile of paperwork that was accumulating on their desks. Soon their troubled thoughts were interrupted when DI Johnson entered the lab waving a file later in the early evening

"We found the mother" He said as he walked towards Harry and Nikki

"Karen Jones aged 39 mother of Erin Jones aged 17…you were right about her age Leo" James said as the older man joined the group

"…And the mother didn't report her missing?" the DI shook his head

"Apparently not. But there's something that worries me about this case. There's been a number of call outs for domestic disturbances at their home on Richardson Way, no charges were ever brought. On the surface they seem like the normal happy family but when you start digging deeper…well I'm not so sure, there's something not right about this"

"By the state of Erin she seems to have been on the streets for a while. She was showing signs of malnourishment" Harry said sighing "Someone must have noticed she'd gone. She's only seventeen, someone must have missed her"

"Sadly it doesn't seem that way, maybe she just didn't want to be found"

"Or maybe everyone gave up on her" Leo said sadly

"She looked so scared" Nikki said her eyes brimming with tears "She shouldn't have to be sleeping on the streets. No one should have to lie on the streets cold, wet and frightened because they think it's their only chance, no one…"

"It's ok" Harry said gently pulling her into a hug "She'll get help"

"I'm going to see her later this evening Nikki, I promise" Leo said gently and Nikki sniffed back the tears and nodded

DI Johnson stood up "I'm not letting this case go…as I said there's something not right about this and I am not going to let a girl as young as that be put at risk"

"Thank you" Leo said as the DI left the lab

"This has really gotten to you hasn't it" Harry said passing Nikki a box of tissues which she gratefully accepted

"She shouldn't have to feel alone in this world…she should be with people who love and care about her"

"You don't know that she isn't, there might be a reasonable explanation"

"What mother doesn't report their own child missing?" Nikki said angrily

Harry had no reply for that, he couldn't understand either.

"She'll be fine wont she?" Nikki said looking for some reassurance

Harry nodded "She's going to have to be. I don't know if the labs got enough money to keep you supplied in tissues"

Nikki gave a watery laugh and the two of the sat in close comfort, no words needed to be said between them. Their companionable silence was enough to get them through the moment.

* * *

True to his word, Leo walked into the hospital; the corridors were bustling with patients and medical staff as he made his way over to the reception desk.

"Hi, I'm looking for a Doctor Myles…"

"I'm guessing you must be Leo" a man said coming up to the desk and placing a stack of files down "I on the other hand am the man in question"

He shook Leo's hand and led him down the corridor "She kept repeating your name as she drifted in and out of consciousness when she was brought in. You're the one that found her right?"

Leo nodded "She was in the car park where I work curled up in a ball"

"Poor thing" the doctor sighed "I'm glad you're here. We still haven't been able to get in contact with her mother so it'll be good for her to have someone she knows and trusts here for her. She's a bit unsettled at the moment"

"She's awake?" Leo said his heart rising with this new found hope

The doctor nodded "About half an hour ago. She's a bit drowsy with the medication we've dosed her up with but other than that she's starting on the road to recovery"

Leo sighed with relief and the doctor smiled gently "They crawl into your hearts don't they?"

Leo managed a small smile "She's seem like a good one, I can't imagine what she's been through"

They paused outside the room "Neither can I…she's lucky you found her"

"Anyone would have done the same" Leo said modestly

"I doubt it, not to the extent you went to, anyway I'll be back to check on her soon but you're welcome to stay as long as you like" Leo nodded his thanks and entered the room

Erin was lying in a bed hooked up to numerous monitors; she had an IV drip in her arm pumping her full of warm fluids and medication. She was covered with lots of blankets and after a quick glance at the monitors Leo was relieved to see her body temperature was slowly coming back up. He sat down on a chair next to the bed and smiled gently at the young girl who acknowledged his reappearance into her life

"I really don't like hospitals" she murmured

"Best place for you at the moment, you wouldn't want to be out there tonight. Its not place for a young girl like you"

Erin gave a shrug and then asked "Why?"

Leo looked at her, slightly puzzled by the question "Why what?"

"Why do you care so much? Why didn't you just walk on by and get on with your life?"

"Because you needed help and I'm not going to let a bright young girl like you throw away her life"

"I'm not bright" she muttered

"I bet you are" he smiled "You've clearly got a knack for survival, you're a real fighter, the cold set in but you kept hanging on in there"

"Doesn't equate to brightness" she said darkly

"Well you must be doing something right. You've been through a lot and you're still here"

"Barely"

"But you're still here" he emphasised "After all of this, you're still here. Surely that must mean something to you"

Erin shrugged again "I don't know what to think anymore"

"Then let us help you. Erin, there are good people in this world, people who care about you and want to help you"

She shook her head, the tears welling up in her eyes "It's too late and it's all my fault" she said turning over so her face was away from his

"What's all your fault?" but he got no reply. Erin clearly had nothing more to say on the matter

Leo sat there in silence with her for a while longer until he saw Erin was asleep. He stood up and stretched. He went towards the door but not before turning back and finally saying "I'm not giving up on you Erin Jones. You just wait and see"

With that he left the room and shut the door. Erin turned over and opened her eyes, wide awake. She lay there listening to the rhythmic beat of the monitors as the last dregs of the days light faded from the room. The only thing that broke the sound of the monitors was the soft sound of Erin crying into her pillow.


	5. Revalations

Leo was sitting in his office the next morning trying to get through the usual stack of paper work. His mind kept drifting away to thoughts of Erin and his visit to her last night

"Leo?" said an anxious voice and he looked up to see Nikki hovering in the door way

He made a gesture for her to come in and she sat down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk

"How was she?" Leo didn't even need to ask who the 'she' was, he knew immediately from the anxious look in Nikki's eyes

"She was a little unsettled last night but then again no one really likes hospitals when it gets down to it do they?" he smiled gently "Her body temperature was coming back up when I saw her and she looked better, she wasn't quite so pale and she had a bit of colour in her cheeks"

"And the mother?" Nikki said still looking worried

"Still no sign. The poor girl, it probably doesn't hep she's got no one holding her hand to help her through all this"

"I can't even begin to imagine what she went through on the streets. It's the middle of winter and the weather we've had in the last couple of weeks has been brutal"

Leo nodded sadly "She'll be alright Nikki, she's in safe hands now, and no one's going to let anything happen to her. She's a little fighter that one…"

Nikki smiled looking more reassured than she had before. Leo assumed like him she couldn't get the image of the shivering and frightened girl out of her head.

"Leo?" Harry called as he leant on the doorframe "DI Johnson's here, he wanted to give you an update"

Leo nodded his thanks and made his way out of his office, giving Nikki a comforting squeeze on the shoulder before he left.

* * *

James was waiting in the lab with a frustrated look in his face which softened when he saw Leo

"I know this is out of the ordinary and normally I wouldn't expect a pathologist to get involved with things like this. But this is not ordinary situation and it seems that you are thoroughly involved and considering Erin seems to have no one in the whole world to look out for her except you. I'm going to make an exception"

"You found the mother than?"

The DI nodded "I called round there last night. I swear to you this woman even care Erin was gone"

"What?" Leo said looking shocked

"When I told her she just shrugged. I think her exact words were 'She big enough and ugly enough to make her own decisions'"

"She was in no state to make any decision making when we found her"

James nodded again "I asked her why she didn't call the police and she told me that Erin wasn't her responsibility anymore, that she was an adult and she had enough problems to deal with, without that, and I quote 'little brat' to look after"

"She's seventeen, that's not legally an adult yet. And Erin is her daughter surely that must mean something to her"

"I don't even think she realised Erin has run away and she certainly didn't care…but if that's not bad enough I was able to look into Erin's patient records" James looked grim

"Abuse?" Leo said hardly daring to ask

"Over the last seventeen years Erin has been on hospital far too many times. She's had broken arms, broken legs, broken ribs. Lacerations, concussions, dislocated shoulders, the list is endless"

"And no one thought to follow these up?"

"According to Erin she walked into a cupboard door or fell over at school"

Leo sighed "Social services?"

"Apparently Erin Jones slipped through the net. She didn't want to press any charges and so they had nothing on her. They couldn't prove it either way"

The older man felt a lump in his throat build, the girl was so young and she had been through far too much already.

"What's going to happen to Erin?"

"It depends…she'll be in hospital recovering for a bit. If we can get her to speak up about the abuse then we can make sure she remains safe. But if not then we are limited on our options…." The DI sighed

"I'm not giving up on her" Leo said firmly

"Id hoped you'd say that" James smiled gently "She trusts you Leo and you and your team are probably one of the only few people in this world who have ever made her feel safe"

"Any decent human being would do the same" he said modestly

DI Johnson shook his head "If that was the case this wouldn't have happened to her in the first place. Out of all the car parks she choose to lie in, I'm glad it was this one"

"I'm not sure she'll se it that way" he sighed

"How was she last night?"

"I think she's given up the fight. She doesn't believe in herself anymore. She says it's all her fault and nothing can be done to change it"

"I spoke to the doctor this morning, the mother hasn't been to see her and Erin's completely closed off to everyone. She won't eat, she won't sleep or cooperate. All she does is just lay there staring into space" James said rubbing a hand over his forehead

Leo almost felt his heart break in two, the girl was special and he could see that but it seemed the whole world had turned its back on her when she needed it the most. All she needed was someone to believe in her and she didn't even have that. As far as Leo was concerned that was all about to change, he was not going to let her be pushed aside any longer

* * *

Harry was sitting at his desk idly flicking through a case file as he watched Nikki from across the room

"Pervert" she giggled, although she was turned away from him, Nikki could feel his eyes burning into her back

"That's the first smile I've seen from you all day" he said ignoring her insult, he was just pleased to see Nikki in a brighter mood

"Talking to Leo helped" she said softly

"Still thinking about Erin?" he said although he didn't really need an answer

"I could hardly sleep last night. I kept thinking about how frightened she must be, she's all alone. Goodness knows how long she was on the streets for. The streets of London are hardly the place for anyone to be sleeping, yet alone a young girl"

"You're thinking about the time you tried to run away aren't you?" Harry said remembering the conversation he'd had with Nikki not long ago

She nodded "I had someone that cared enough to come looking for me. No one even noticed she'd gone"

Tears started to well up in Nikki's eyes and Harry went over to her and gently hugged her, trying to ignore the way even the slightest touch of her made his heart race and his skin tingle. Nikki turned and relaxed into Harry's body, a gesture of a silent thank you, that no words could ever communicate

The phone on Harry's desk rang breaking up the intimate moment between the pair and Harry sighed in annoyance

"Harry Cunningham" he said into the receiver "Dead body collector and forensic pathologists extraordinaire"

Nikki giggled as she perched on the edge of the desk watching him take the phone call

"And you call me a pervert" he said to her as he pushed her gently off his desk "Your desk is over there" he pointed and gave her a gentle nudge

She sat down at her desk still watching Harry as he took details of the call. She watched as his face turned stony and she could have sworn the blood drained from his face. Eventually he put the receiver down and paused for a moment apparently needing the time to compose himself

"What is it?" Nikki said looking anxious, clearly worried by the change in Harry's behaviour

"There's a body…." Nikki looked puzzled; Harry wasn't usually phased by things like these. Harry's sentence was broken up as his body filled with fear.

"Harry?" Leo said coming into the room followed by DI Johnson "What's wrong?"

"The body of a woman has been found….on Richardson way"

**Authors note: Ooh a cliff hanger! I'm not so sure about this chapter, it's a little bit dry. I just needed a filler chapter before I can move the plot on.**


	6. Karen Jones

Harry pulled up outside number 23 Richardson Way. The terraced house was exactly the same as all the other houses on the street. There was nothing unusual about the house or the street, it was so typical, it could have been any street in London. He got out of his car and went to unload his equipment, pulling his jacket around him as the bitter wind whipped around him.

"Dr Cunningham, forensic pathologists" he said to the police officer standing guard at the cordon tape.

The officer nodded and lifted up the tape, as Harry ducked underneath it and went towards the open front door of the house where he could see a team of SOCO's trawling over the house, looking for any evidence. He was pointed in the direction of the body and he made his way into the kitchen where he sighed as he saw what lay before him. A woman in her mid-thirties was lying sprawled out across the floor in a pool of blood. He could see jagged slash marks across her wrists and arms.

"Suicide?" a voice said from behind him and Harry looked up to see DI Johnson standing there looking grim "I asked to stick with this case since I'm dealing with Erin" he said answer Harry's unasked question

"So this is Karen Jones then?" DI Johnson nodded

"It looks like suicide but I can't rule anything out until we get back to the lab and I can do a proper examination of the body, there's something not quite right about this but I can't put my finger on it" Harry frowned

"I want to show you something" the DI stood up and left the room with Harry following

He led Harry up the stairs and into a small room. The walls of the room were painted in a pale pink which had been dirtied by the years. Parts of it were covered up by drawings and sketches, others covered up with posters of animals. The bed in the corner was covered by a crumpled duvet and Harry could see a tattered soft toy dog lying near the pillow. The desk on the other side of the room was covered with scarps of paper and a few notebooks and a few shelves held a couple of worn books. The shabby room despite not being the most inspiring place gave off an air of innocence and Harry sighed loudly

"Erin's room?" He questioned

James nodded "Pretty dismal isn't it"

"These are good" Harry said looked at the drawings tacked to the wall

"She's got a talent that girl" The DI said sadly "Poor kid…it's wasted in a family like this. I mean the mother probably beat her senseless and so she ends up taking her chances on the streets and then she's found nearly frozen to death"

"What worries me is how it went unnoticed for so long" Harry grimaced

"It knocks your faith in society doesn't it?" DI Johnson said and Harry nodded

"Still at least she's safe now"

"You'd think she would have been safe with the people who were meant to love and care for her, if they can't even do that then what chance does she stand against the rest of the world"

Harry had no answer to that question, he only hoped that deep down inside Erin would keep fighting and she wouldn't give up on the world just yet

* * *

Dr Myles walked into the side room and sighed. Erin was lying there, staring into space, her face expressionless

"Are you going to talk to me today Erin?" he said gently

She turned over and hid her face away from him

"You need to eat something today…I know hospital food isn't great but if you don't eat anything it'll make you feel a lot worse"

"Nothing can make me feel worse than I already do" she murmured

Dr Myles looked up, surprised that she had broken her silence "Why's that Erin?"

But she just shook her head and he took this as a sign not to push her any further. But this was progress; shed started to speak again and was making a recovery

"Do you feel sick today?" Erin gave a noncommittal shrug "Well your temperatures coming back up nicely, though I do want to keep you in for a few more days just to be sure"

Erin murmured something inaudible which he took as a sign of consent.

"I think Leo's coming to see you again today" he said hoping that she would open up to him "He wouldn't want to see you in this state"

"He doesn't care" she said bitterly

"Oh that's not true at all. He cares a great deal about you. He could have kept walking when he saw you but he didn't. He took you to get dry and warm instead. He's very worried about you Erin, all of us are. We don't like to see you this sad, all we want to do is help you"

"Then you'll just bugger off like they all do" she said with silent tears falling down her face

"No, I'm not going to let that happen, neither is Leo and neither is DI Johnson, the man who came and spoke to you yesterday. We're going to make sure you get better and we're going to sort all of this out. But Erin you have to let us help you, we need to understand what's going on in that head of yours"

Erin made no reply and Doctor Myles decided to lave it there for the moment "I'll be back to check on you in about an hour Erin and I'm expecting you to have eaten something by then because otherwise you're limiting your options on how we can help you"

The door clicked shut and Erin turned back over and gazed at the shut door. Silent tears became audible sobs and racked her small frame. Her world had changed so much; she'd taken steps she'd only imagined in her wildest dreams.

She lay back on the pillows and pulled her blankets around her, suddenly feeling drowsy. Her thoughts kept coming back to Leo, the only person shed ever known who actually cared about her. He was a stranger he wasn't meant to care about her but he did. Erin couldn't understand that at all. It didn't matter, when this was all over she'd be left alone again, alone like she was sitting in her cold little bedroom nursing another injury, crying herself to sleep as she listened to her mother downstairs with the men she'd brought home. Erin shivered, those were the worst times, and she'd thought all men and women were bad like her mother and her men but then she'd met Harry, Nikki and Leo. They weren't bad human beings, they cared about her, they wanted to make sure she was alright. Erin felt a fresh wave of tears fall down her face, her mother had said she'd cared about her and then she'd broken Erin's arm in a drunken rage only moments later. But these three new people in her life wouldn't hurt her would they? Erin didn't know what to think anymore, she just let the fatigue overwhelm her and dropped off into a fitful sleep

**Authors note: Bit of a serious chapter this one isn't it? Sorry I didn't update yesterday but I might be nice and put another chapter up today to make up for it. I'm going to have a fanfiction updating session today to make up for me deserting my beloved stories!**


	7. Nighmares and Knife wounds

**Author's note: Because I was asked nicely, here's the next chapter :) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, it means a lot to me and gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling inside!**

_She could hear her coming up the stairs, slowly as if to elongate the torture. Each creaky step made a new wave of nausea wash over him. Her body was braced for a fight but she knew resistance was futile. Then it happened. Her door was flung open, the light was switched on and her duvet was ripped off her as the woman rushed at her screaming all sorts of profanities she didn't know even existed. The beatings rained sown on her and the pain flashed through her body, ripping it apart cell by cell. 'You ruined my life…You evil child…I'm going to make you pay' the alcohol was strong on her breath making the nausea rise further into her throat. The woman leant over her getting closer and closer 'I'm going to make you pay…"Then the screaming began..._

"Erin, Erin, look at me" a concerted voice cut through the screaming that was ringing in Erin's ears.

She wrenched open her eyes, almost blinded by the bright lights of the room; she couldn't work out where she was. There were people in the room trying to hold her down and she could still heat the screaming. She looked around the room desperate for some relief from this terror

"Erin" the voice came again and she turned her head and felt some relief wash over her

Leo was standing over her trying to get her to focus on him. His steady brown eyes never wavered as he gently spoke to her, repeating her name to keep her attention. The screaming had lessened now and at that moment Erin realised how raw her throat felt. She took some gasps for air and the screaming stopped. It had been her screaming in terror, she kept her focus on Leo as she tried to steady her breathing. A new wave of nausea washed over her, rising higher and higher in her throat making her body shudder. She felt her head being pushed forward as a cardboard dish appeared under her. She retched and vomited, feeling the sick burning in her throat, her lungs screamed for oxygen and she gasped taking in big gulps of air.

The sickness passed and her head became clearer, she leant back onto the pillows still trying to control her breathing.

Leo apparently satisfied she had calmed down, sat down on the chair next to the bed

"Do you feel better?" she heard Doctor Myles ask and she was suddenly aware of other people in the room

"Yeah…" she said shakily

"It was a dream Erin, you're safe" Leo was saying to her gently

Erin suddenly felt a stinging sensation in her hands and looked down to see deep scratches littering her arms

"You were really going for it" Doctor Myles said gently picking up a dressing and wrapping it around the cuts "But Erin you have to remember it was only a dream and dreams can't hurt you"

"It wasn't a dream" Erin said her eyes brimming with tears "It was a memory"

"Of your mother?" Leo asked and Erin looked up quizzically

"How did you…?

"You were talking in your sleep" Leo said gently

"Do you feel like your going to be sick anymore?" the doctor asked, Erin shook her head still visibly pale from the nightmare

"Erin, I'm going to give you some medication that's going to calm you down and make you a bit sleepy" he said fiddling with a syringe

"No, she'll come back" Erin almost screamed with fear "She'll be there, as soon as I close my eyes she's there waiting for me"

"We won't let her hurt you" the doctor continued. The adults in the room was still confused at this ambiguous 'she' but they had a fair idea of who she meant

"You need some sleep Erin" Leo said gently "I promise you no one is going to hurt you here. She can't get you here"

Erin nodded and the doctor leant forward and injected something into the catheter in her hand. The medication took effect almost immediately and Erin felt her muscles become heavy; she tried to blink away the tiredness and fighting against the oncoming drowsiness

"Don't fight it Erin" she heard Leo say

She looked up into his strong, caring brown eyes and felt soothed. There was no anger there, no hatred, no violence, just kindness. That was something Erin has never seen before and she wondered if she was dreaming now. She must be dreaming, no one had ever cared this much for her before. She was convinced she would wake up soon in her cold, draughty bedroom, her mother shaking her awake, yelling at her. Maybe she would be lucky this time and her mother wouldn't break any bones, she could just get away with a black eye or a bloodied nose. And then she would be back in reality, the lonely reality in which Erin Jones was a lost and lonely soul. As the tiredness started to overwhelm her she struggled to keep her eyes open, she wanted to take one last look at Leo before she woke up, then she would have something to hold on to.

* * *

A few minutes after the sedative had taken effect and Erin was safely asleep. The adults stepped outside the room

"How did you calm her down like that?" Doctor Myles asked "She was hysterical"

"I had a daughter, I know how to cope with the nightmares" Leo said, a lump of emotion rising in his throat as he remembered his family

Myles nodded understanding not to push Leo any further on the subject

"I have never seen a nightmare as bad as that. She must have dug her nails about an inch into her arms"

"She was terrified" Leo sighed "Goodness only knows what happened to her in the past"

"She's safe now" The two men turned around to see DI Johnson standing there, his face was drawn and he looked tired "I thought I'd find you here"

"Her mother?" Leo asked

"We recovered the body of what we are pretty sure is Karen Jones. We're eventually going to need identification from a family member but she's gone now and she can't hurt Erin anymore"

"I think she's done enough damage already" the doctor sighed "I think that nightmare was enough evidence of that"

Leo shook his head; he couldn't believe that anyone could make their own child that frightened. He'd never seen someone that scared before, the doctor was right she had been completely hysterical; the fear had been so strong it had made her vomit. He closed his eyes and sighed. He dreaded to think of what damage had been done to Erin both physically and mentally

* * *

The next day Harry was in the cutting room starting the autopsy on Karen Jones. As he started to make the first incision he heard someone enter the room from behind him

"Erin doesn't take much after her does she?" he looked up and saw Nikki standing there in a pair of scrubs, pulling on a pair of latex gloves

Harry looked down at the body and had to admit Nikki was right. The two had very little in common apart from having dark hair. The woman's eyes were darker and colder than Erin's. Her face was more simply constructed than Erin's and had no air of innocence like Erin's

"Maybe that's a good thing" Harry said glancing across at Nikki "Are you coming to help then?"

She nodded "Leo thought you could do with a hand. He can't do it as he's already too involved"

"We're all involved" he frowned

"Who thought one girl could cause so much difficulty"

Harry snorted "Pot, kettle, black, we're always having to get you out of the scrapes you get yourself into" Nikki just glared at him in reply

They continued their banter as they worked on the post mortem. After a whole Harry stopped and turned to Nikki

"Do you think suicide?"

"The radial artery has been cut, common with suicide attempts like this but…."

"…She doesn't seem the type to do this" he finished for her

"I would have said it was because she felt guilty about what happened to Erin but she didn't seem to care what happened to her daughter in the slightest" Nikki pulled a face

"That's what was making me wonder as well, I ordered a tox screen, I don't think this is as straight forward as it seems. I mean look at the arms, there are track marks, that's got to be years of drug abuse" Harry sighed

Nikki poked around in the body further "That liver doesn't look in great condition either, alcohol abuse?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. There's some residue under the fingernails, I think we're going to need a DNA sample from Erin so we can work out if any of this is from Erin" Harry called to the lab technician to take a photo of the body

"I'll go if you want to finish up here" Harry nodded

"You want to see if she's doing ok, don't you?" and this time it was Nikki's turn to nod "Does she know about her mother yet?"

"No…Leo went to tell her last night but apparently she had a nightmare…I think more of a flashback and she wasn't in the right state of mind for anything after that" Nikki said sadly

"I dread to think what's going on in that head of hers" Nikki murmured in agreement

"What I want to know is how it went unnoticed for so long. There are meant to be checks in place for this sort of thing but yet for Erin…nothing" her eyes were brimming with tears now

"It'll be ok" Harry soothed

"Will it Harry?" she said almost angrily "She's probably emotionally scarred for life. We don't know what went on but we do know that no one in the world gave a second thought to a lonely, frightened little girl who had no one in the world to look out for her"

Nikki turned away from Harry and rushed out of the cutting room with tears rolling down her face. She hauled open her locker door and grabbed her clothes. With a great deal of force, that Nikki didn't even know she had in her; she slammed the locker door shut with a crash. The release of anger seemed to calm her down and she took deep, shaky breaths to calm herself. This type of mood wouldn't help Erin in any way; the poor girl had seen enough anger already. Nikki knew she had to stay strong for Erin. She wasn't going to let this girl down, she remembered when she had run away and her teacher, the only one who cared, had come looking for her. Erin had no one, Nikki was determined this was going to change. She wouldn't let Erin be on her own any longer, if no one cared enough to look out for Erin, Nikki Alexander would have to look out for the girl herself.


	8. Loosing hope

**Authors note: Once again thanks to all who have read and reviewed it's good to get feedback on this, I hope everything is in character and believable but if anything's not, then just tell me and I'll change it :)**

DI Johnson met Nikki just outside Erin's hospital room, giving her a quick smile as a greeting

"How is she?" Nikki asked tentatively, recalling Leo's version of the night's events

"She's ok…still pretty shaken up, it was one hell of a nightmare apparently" the DI said looking apprehensive

"Have you told her yet?" Nikki asked shifting her case from one hand to the other

He shook his head "I was hoping for some help…you know the woman's touch and all that" he said looking sheepish

"I thought that was more your department, informing relatives"

He sighed "This case is unusual to say the least. I've dealt with child abuse in the past but this…this is different somehow…"

Nikki nodded "It's Erin, that's what's different"

The DI shrugged and opened the door to let Nikki in; he followed closely behind and clicked the door shut

* * *

Erin looked up as they walked in and smiled gently though the events from the previous night had taken their toll on her

"Hey Erin, do you remember me from the lab?"

Erin nodded "Nikki" she said and Nikki smiled

"How're you feeling?" she asked gently, setting her case down on the floor

"A bit better…" Erin said although her voice betrayed her slightly

"Erin…we need to talk to you about something" the DI said glancing at Nikki "We… erm…"

Nikki sighed and stepped in "We recovered the body of your mother yesterday, I'm sorry Erin but she's dead"

The two adults looked across at Erin to gauge her reaction. The girl's face remained emotionless

"Oh…" she said after a few moments of silence

"We have to consider the possibility of suicide" the DI said gently

Erin snorted "I highly doubt it was suicide"

"Why?" the DI said curiously

"She wouldn't let me off that easily" Erin said darkly

"Erin…did she hurt you?" DI Johnson leant forward

"It doesn't matter anymore"

"We've seen your medical records; broken bones don't appear by themselves"

"I know that I'm not stupid" Erin snapped

Nikki shot the DI a loaded look "We want to help…"

"Why would you want to help me, you're practically a stranger" Erin was on the verge of tears now

Nikki took the young girl's hand and held it tightly in hers "Erin look at me"

The girl moved her head up and looked into Nikki's eyes; the pathologist almost felt her heart break. Erin's pale green eyes reflected nothing but fear. Fear of having her heart broken once more, fear of being hurt, fear being left alone once more.

"There are good people in this world Erin, believe me, I know the world can be a cold and dismal place. But you have to trust me when I tell you that people do care about you, good and kind people"

"Where are they then?" Erin said, tears falling down her face

"All around you…" Nikki smiled "But you have to let them help you, they wont ever turn there back on you but you have to let them in" Erin nodded still keeping her eyes level with Nikki's "Do you think you can do that?"

The girl paused for a moment still keeping her gaze fixed on Nikki "I don't know" she said softly

"I think you can" Nikki said gently

Erin looked at Nikki and tried to make a decision. This woman was a lot like Leo, she looked like she cared. Erin could see something similar to herself in Nikki, it was in her eyes, and there was something there, like Nikki could understand what Erin felt. Nikki's eyes were steady like Leo's and they were honest, she could see Nikki understood what it felt like to be lonely.

The girl sighed and closed her own eyes, she didn't know if she had enough fight in her to carry on. Her heart had been broken a long time ago and she couldn't remember what it felt like to be loved. But when she was around these people, old feelings kept being brought up. Something deep down inside of her had awoken. She didn't know what it was but always when she looked at people like Harry, Nikki or Leo, it was there. She felt safe and protected. It was so long since she had ever felt like that. But most of all they treated her with what the young girl had yearned for, for so long. They treated her with compassion. Erin was unsure whether she would be able to risk it anymore, were there good people in this world? , The world that was so dark and scary, the world of her mother and all the nasty men creeping around and into her bedroom. But here were people who seemed to care for her, she didn't know why and she wasn't sure she ever would. Her eyes flickered open and she looked back at Nikki who was smiling gently at her

"I think I can" she said softly and Nikki nodded

* * *

Leo was sitting in his office going over some reports before he sent them to the coroner. His eyes were heavy from fatigue and he was getting frustrated as he read over the same words again and again

"When was the last time you slept? A voice disturbed his thoughts and Leo looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway, eyebrows raised

"Does it matter?" Leo said stifling a yawn

"Reports show that OAP's should be getting at least ten hours sleep a night" Harry teased

"Did you read the rest of that report? Especially the part where it said Harry Cunningham will be doing everyone's paperwork for a month if he does not start respecting his elders" Harry snorted with laughter "Now is there a reason you're hear or do you just need to vent your sarcasm?"

"There is a reason but seeing as Nikki not here I have no one to dazzle with my sparkling wit…"

"Harry?" Leo said cutting him off in mid flow

"What?"

"Get on with it?" Leo sighed dramatically

Harry grinned and waved a piece of paper at Leo "The toxicology report came back for Karen Jones"

"And?" Leo said suddenly attentive, all traces of sleep had disappeared from his body

"Most f it was as we suspected. High amounts of heroin and alcohol in her system. That would coincide with the track marks and damaged liver respectively but there's something else that would interest you…" he passed the paper over to Leo

"…Chloroform?" Leo said sounding surprised and Harry nodded

"The amounts of alcohol and heroin would have subdued her but she still would have been conscious but not in enough control to slit her wrists that precisely. The cuts were very controlled; with the amount of drugs she had in her she would be conscious but not in control. The chloroform suggests…."

"…someone else was there"

Harry nodded "You wouldn't need much to knock her out with the state she was in and my guess is whoever did this set it up to look like suicide. She wouldn't have been able to fight back, she would have been unconscious and drugged up which is why there are no defence wounds or bruising"

"Any other DNA?"

"There was some residue under the fingernail. Nikki's gone to get a DNA sample from Erin so we can rule any DNA from Erin out but to me this looks like murder"

Leo sighed and leaned back in his chair "This just gets more and more complicated by the second"

Harry nodded "Everything seems normal from the outside except when you dig deeper there's abuse, drugs and goodness knows what else going on in that family"

"And Erin's caught up in the middle of it" Leo shook his head "This is so wrong. She's only seventeen; she shouldn't have to be dealing with all of this. No one should, not even an adult"

Harry nodded "Maybe Nikki will be able to get Erin to open up to her"

"I hope so Harry, I really hope so"

* * *

"I just need to take a swab of the inside of your cheek" Nikki said to Erin "So we can rule out any traces of your DNA"

"Ok…" Erin said apprehensively

"Erin how often did she hit you?" DI Johnson asked gently as Nikki started to get things ready for taking a swab

Erin shrugged "Once a week?" the DI prompted "One a day?"

"Last one" she said quietly

"I need you to open up your mouth nice and wide for me, I'll be done really quickly" Nikki said as she leaned towards Erin

Erin opened her mouth and Nikki gently took a swab of the inside of her cheek "Ok I'm done" she said and Erin quickly closed her mouth again

"Where did she hit you?"

"…all over" Erin said her bottom lip wobbling "It doesn't matter, I deserved it"

Nikki and DI Johnson looked up at Erin startled "No Erin…no you didn't deserve any of this. Whatever she said you did, you didn't deserve to be beaten. No matter what you did wrong it doesn't equate to her being able to treat you like this" the DI said trying to keep calm

"Erin" Nikki said suddenly "Do you understand what she did to you was wrong? It's wrong of her to treat you like this and its not normal behaviour"

Now it was Erin's turn to look shocked "She told me it happened to everyone. She said when children were naughty they have to be punished for their sins"

"No Erin" Nikki said gently "You can never justify hurting anyone in order to help them"

"It doesn't happen to everyone then?"

Nikki shook her head "No. What she did to you Erin was wrong and its not how anyone should behave to another human being. Do you understand that now?"

Erin nodded slowly, they saw her eyes begin to droop with tiredness and they knew that it wouldn't be fair to push Erin any further, she was still recovering and she needed to rest

"You need to get some sleep now" DI Johnson said standing up "We'll come back a bit later when you're a bit refreshed. But I promise you Erin, we're going to sort all of this out ok?" she nodded "Good girl" he smiled encouragingly

The two of them left the room, leaving Erin to sleep. Nikki leant against the wall in the corridor as the DI closed the door

"I can't believe she didn't know what her mother was doing to her was wrong" Nikki said, her voice breaking with emotion

The DI nodded "I dread to think what else the mother has got Erin to believe. Physical scars will heal but emotional ones, they are so much deeper"

The two of them made their way out of the hospital; neither could believe that so much could go on behind closed door with no one noticing. There thoughts lingered on the young girl, all alone in the world trying to recover from the years of abuse. She had started to make progress but they knew that she still had a long way to go but both were determined not to let Erin be alone in the world ever again.


	9. Dear Diary

A few hours later, Nikki was in the lab typing away at her computer when Leo, Harry and DI Johnson entered the lab

"Some of the residue under the fingernails is a match to Erin" Nikki said sliding a sheet of paper across the table to the three men "Its blood"

"Erin must have taken quite a beating. There was blood on her clothes when we first found her" Leo said grimly

Nikki nodded "I checked that against the DNA sample from Erin and that's defiantly hers"

"Hang on" Harry cut in after a moments thought "Some of the residue under the fingernails belongs to Erin, what about the rest?"

"Took you a while there" Nikki smirked as Harry rolled his eyes "The rest isn't a match to either of them. My guess is it might be the murderer" she said remembering what Harry and Leo had told her when she got back to the lab

"Do we have any idea who this is?" DI Johnson asked and Nikki shook her head "I can rule out people but we need a match before I can confirm anything"

"We have no suspects, only victims" Harry frowned

"I wouldn't be quite so sure" DI Johnson pulled a plastic bag out of hid pocket and put it on the table

Inside was a small, battered looking notebook with the words 'keep out' scrawled across it in loopy handwriting.

"SOCO's found it underneath the floorboards, its Erin's diary. Now as much as I hate to read other people's private thoughts, I think we have to make an exception"

Harry passed him a pair of latex gloves and DI Johnson carefully took the diary out of the bag. He flicked through it looking until he got to the most recent entry

"21st October" he said "That's about a month and a half to the day you found her Leo"

"A month and a half would probably match up to the state of malnourishment she had. I bet she hasn't had a decent meal in all that time" Harry said grimly

"What does it say?" Nikki asked curiously

DI Johnson laid the diary on the desk so they could all read it

"_Dear Diary,_

_I don't know what to do anymore. She came for me last night, with her man both of them were drunk out of their minds. It was the usual time, I was about to drop off to sleep and she came hurtling into my room. Mum said I was bad and I needed to pay for my sins, she said I should be grateful for her putting a roof over my head. My wrist hurts now, I don't know if she broke it or not, I barely feel the pain only numbness. She hit me today, you should have seen the blood, and I don't know how I'm going to explain that at school. Mrs Roberts asked me how I got the bruise on my head and I told her I walked into a cupboard. She believed me and told me 'not to be so silly and clumsy in the future'._

_Oh God…she's back and he's with her again. I deal with a replica of last night all over again. I'm going diary, it's my only chance, they'll kill me, I know they'll kill me if I stay here. I'm going to hide you away; they won't find you I promise. I wish I could take you with me, my loyal little notebook, the only one who knows the truth but I can't. So I'll hide you away and you'll be safe as for me I have to take me chances. This might be my last entry in you; I don't know where I'll end up. I have to go now, she's getting the alcohol out, and I can hear the bottles clinking. I feel sick now…I'm going to go now diary. I hope you stay safe and that she doesn't find you. No one can know how ungrateful I have been but I don't think my body can cope with paying for my sins tonight. Who knows where I'll end up…but it's now or never diary, now or never"_

"Oh God…." Nikki put her hand over her mouth in shock.

Harry put a comforting hand on her shoulder but his face was carrying an expression of shock exactly the same as Nikki's

"We need to find out who this 'he' is" the DI said looking at the three shocked faces of the pathologists in front of him

"Do you think Erin would know?" Nikki said still looking shaken

The DI shrugged "It's worth a try but she doesn't seem to have specified a name in the diary so I'm not sure"

"What about other entries" Harry asked

"I haven't had a chance to look at them closely but they all pretty much specify the same thing. Her mother abuses her and Erin pours her heart out to this little book" the DI pinched the bridge of his nose "We've basically got no leads to go on. Erin is our main source and she's in no state to undergo a pressured interview"

"How long is the doctor keeping her in hospital for?" Leo asked suddenly

"A couple more days, they're getting social services involved but Erin's refused to speak to them so far"

"I don't blame her" Leo said angrily "They haven't exactly done anything for her in the past"

"Will she go into care?" Nikki asked

"I'm not sure what they're going to do with her. As far as I know there are no grandparents or aunties and uncles to speak of"

"What about the father?" Harry questioned

"Died when she was a year old" the DI sighed "He was severely depressed and he killed himself" he said bluntly

"Erin has been through so much.... won't anyone give the girl a break" Nikki said emotionally and Harry pulled her into a hug, unable to find any words that would soothe her

"We're going to have to talk to Erin again. She seems to be the key to all of this…" the DI said biting his lip

"We know she's safe in hospital for a couple more days. Maybe we could consider a social admission?" Leo said furrowing his brow in thought.

"We can try; I'm going to go back to the hospital to talk to Erin a bit later. When we left she was exhausted. She's in a fragile state and I don't want to push her too far, too soon"

The rest of the group nodded "We'll go over the stuff we've got here and see if anything crops up" Harry said

DI Johnson nodded "I appreciate it. I want to get this sorted for Erin. I'm not going to let her be put at risk any longer"

* * *

"Erin…" the voice called, elongating each syllable

Erin's eyes fluttered open as she blearily tired to place where the voice was coming from

"Bet you didn't think you'd see me again" came the voice

Erin looked up and saw a tall, blonde haired man standby there smirking. She was about to scream when he lurched forward and clamped his hand over her mouth tightly

"Shut up you little bitch. Don't you dare make a sound ok?" Erin nodded, her body was shaking and her face was drained of blood

"Now Erin you've been a bad girl. You thought you could escape, your mum was right about you, you're a bad one. And you know what happens to bad girls don't you? They're punished and Erin, you've been especially bad…"

Erin felt her stomach lurch as she stared into the cold dark eyes of the man standing before her

"…I've been looking for you, oh you thought you were smart but I've found you now. You're not getting away again Erin. You're going to have to pay for it now. See I need people who are useful, you mum stopped being useful but I've got you. You're younger, fitter and tender…."

He rubbed a finger against her cheek and Erin felt the sick rising in her throat

"…Oh yes, me and you are going to have fun. We're going to have to beat that bad streak out of you. Bad girls get punished and the doctor's going to let you out in a few days and then the games can begin"

Erin gagged and her body convulsed under his hand. He sneered at her and laughed cruelly in her face

"Erin, I…" the moment was interrupted as Doctor Myles walked into the room and stopped short when he saw what was happening "Security" he bellowed

But the blonde man bolted out of the room before anyone could get to him. As soon as he let his hand go from Erin's mouth she started screaming.

"Erin, Erin…look at me" the doctor said coming over to her

Erin was hysterical now, her face was red from all the crying and screaming and she had streams of tears running down her face. Her body convulsed and she was sick down her front, she gagged and started choking on her vomit. Doctors started to flood the room to try and calm the panic-stricken girl down as she desperately clawed at them, evidently scared out of her wits.

"We're going to have to sedate her again or she's going to hurt herself" Doctor Myles called to ne of his colleagues who nodded in reply

Erin screamed and kicked out at the doctors and nurses who were holding her down. She felt a prick in her leg and her muscles began to go weak. She was still being held down when her body went limp as the medication flowed through her system and she slipped into a sedated sleep.


	10. Confession

"So what exactly happened?" DI Johnson asked

They were sitting in Doctor Myles' office talking through Erin's attack. The DIA had been phoned by a flustered nurse who told him he should come down immediately following an 'incident' concerning Erin

"I walked into the room to check on Erin and there was this man standing over her with his hand clamped across her mouth. I yelled for security but he bolted…" the doctor said running a hand through his hair

"You didn't go after him?" the doctor shook his head

"My main concern was Erin who was pretty much hysterical, she was screaming at the top of her lungs and then she was violently sick. She started choking on her vomit so we sedated her, it'll start to be wearing off right now"

The DI nodded as he took down the doctor's statement "And what did this man look like?"

"Tall, about six foot. He had blonde hair and was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket"

"Did you hear anything he said?"

Doctor Myles shook his head "He was talking quietly but he had a London accent as far as I know very similar to Erin's"

"Ok thanks. Do you mind if I check your hospital CCTV, it might have picked him out somewhere?"

"Be my guest" the doctor let him to the appropriate area, hoping that somehow they would be able to find out what this man wanted

* * *

Erin was lying in her bed still feeling drowsy when she heard someone enter the room. Her whole body tensed and she wanted to scream but she wasn't strong enough

"It's Leo" a voice came as someone sat down beside her "Just relax, you're safe"

Leo looked down at the young girl who still looked very shaken. She'd been dressed in a fresh hospital gown and she had an oxygen mask over her face to help her with her breathing. Her face was very pale and he could see the trails that the tears had made on her face

"Is he gone?" Erin croaked, her voice was hoarse from all the screaming she'd been doing

"He's gone" Leo said pouring her a glass of water and handing it to her

She slowly removed the mask and took a sip of water, instantly feeling the cool liquid soothe her throat

"Please don't go" she said sounding very young and frightened

"I'm not going anywhere" he said gently. DI Johnson had phoned him with news of Erin's attack and he'd rushed down to the hospital straight away, leaving Harry and Nikki at the lab with the promise of phoning them when he had some news "You should try and get some rest"

"I won't sleep long" she murmured and within moments she was asleep

* * *

DI Johnson frowned as he watched the CCTV; the man whom Doctor Myles has pointed out was clever. He'd not shown his face clearly to the cameras and he obviously knew where the blind spots were

"That's defiantly the man?" he asked the doctor

"That's defiantly him" Doctor Myles nodded

DI Johnson groaned "I thought of all the places in the world, she'd be safe here"

"To be fair, we weren't aware anyone was after her"

"But they are and they clearly are determined to scare Erin into silence. I dread to think of what he said to her"

"She was so scared. We had to sedate her otherwise she was going to really hurt herself"

"I understand. It's a tricky case this one. Just as soon as we think we're getting somewhere then it all goes wrong"

DI Johnson stood up and thanked the Doctor as they made their way out of the room, both men dared not to think of what that man had said. If he was anything like Erin's mother then they were sure Erin was in danger.

* * *

A couple of hours later Erin had woken up again, clearly soothed by the fact Leo had stayed by her side. As she glanced around the room she saw DI Johnson standing in the corner watching her

"I don't know anything" she said suddenly

"Erin…" the DI said gently, taking a seat on the opposite side of the bed to Leo "Who was he?"

"No" she shook her head trying to ignore the pain that shot through her temples "He'll kill me, he'll know it's me and he'll kill me"

"We can protect you"

"You said I would be safe here and hew found me. He'll always find me wherever I go" She said starting to cry

"Erin" Leo took her hand "Do you trust me?"

She looked at him and saw a pair of safe and strong eyes glancing back at her

"Yes" she sobbed

"Then you have to trust me when I say we'll make sure you're safe. If you help us and tell us who he is then we can make sure he can never come near you again"

"Really?" she looked across at DI Johnson for conformation

"Really" he said and she nodded "Erin do you know who this man is?"

"I don't know his full name but I heard my mum call him Ryan once"

"Did your mum know him?"

She nodded "He used to come over and they'd do…they'd have sex" she blurted out "And then they'd get drunk and then… and then…."

"Take your time Erin" Leo said gently

Erin swallowed and gripped his hand for support as she continued "They'd come up to my room"

"That's when you'd get hurt. Erin we found your diary under the floorboards"

She looked shocked "No one was meant to find it…."

"How long has the abuse been going on?"

Erin sniffed back tears "A long time. I cant remember when it started, I think its always been there"

Leo felt his heart break when he heard those words but he still held on tightly to Erin's hand

"Was it worse when Ryan was at your house?"

Erin nodded "He used to make up lies and tell mum that I'd been really bad. And they'd get drunk and they'd do drugs and then they'd come for me"

"Did Ryan give your mum the drugs?" Erin nodded "Was he her dealer?" she shrugged

"She said she cared about me but then she'd get drunk and Ryan would come and then she'd hurt me. I don't think she cared at all. She just used me to get what she wanted…"

"And what was that?" the DI asked gently

"She wanted the drugs. She used to flirt with Ryan and then they'd sleep together and he'd give her the drugs. But one time, she brought him into my room"

The two adults tensed at this revelation "And then what happened?"

Erin burst into fresh sobs "He hit me and told me I was bad. He said he could either beat it out of me or there was another way. He said I could make things all better if I did what he said. He used to kiss me but I pushed him off"

"How long did this go on for?" the DI said trying to stay calm

"He came every night for about a week. And he told me the same thing but I didn't want to. Mum was getting really angry and she hit me really hard, she said if I loved her then I would do it for her"

"And what did you say to that?"

"I told her that I loved her but I couldn't do it. So she punched me and broke my arm and then it got too much"

"And you agreed?" Erin nodded sadly "What did he make you do?"

"He…he made me have sex with him" Erin wailed "I didn't want to…I didn't want to but he said it would make things better"

The DI looked across at Leo and saw the same look of shock on the pathologists face as was on hid own

"It's ok Erin…" Leo soothed "You've done nothing wrong"

"What did he want today then?"

"He said that my mum was of no use to him anymore. But he said that I was and that he knew where to find me"

Erin burst into fresh tears and cried her heart out. She'd never told anyone this before and here she was pouring her heart out to people who were practically strangers. Her mother had told her that if she ever told anyone that they would be disgusted with her and they would hurt her for being bad. But these men weren't hurting her; in fact Leo was still holding her hand tightly in his one. Erin hardly dared to think it but maybe this was a sign of change. Maybe, just maybe she had someone in the cold and lonely world to rely on.


	11. Goodbye

Nikki and Harry were sitting in the lab reflecting on the phone call they'd just received from Leo

"I can't believe she'd do that to her own daughter" Nikki sobbed as Harry cuddled her in his arms

"I know" tears were brimming in his eyes too

"Making her daughter have sex for the sake of drugs" Nikki spat "It's wrong, so wrong"

"They'll lock him up and throw away the key" Harry said darkly "DI Johnson won't let him get away with this"

"But what about Erin? Goodness knows what's going on in her head"

"She'll get help. They have counsellors specialised to deal with situations like hers"

Nikki nodded "The world let her down. Do you think she'll be able to deal with this?"

"She's a fighter" Harry said looking down at Nikki "She's gotten this far and survived it. I think she's a lot stronger than she knows"

"Its enough for anyone to go through, let alone a seventeen year old girl" Nikki sobbed

"Do you want to know something?" Harry asked Nikki, stoking her hair

"What?" she said, her voice laden with tears

"When we were going through Erin's medical records, I found something very interesting. Erin was premature, three months premature"

"She must have been tiny" Nikki said clearly lost in thought

Harry nodded "The doctors weren't sure if she was going to pull through. But she kept hanging on and she kept struggling forward. That's why I have no doubts that she's a strong little fighter who'll get through this"

"I'm sorry for being such an emotional mess over the last couple of days"

"It's been a tough couple of days. Let's hope Leo doesn't pull in any more strays off the street in the near future" Harry said pulling Nikki closer to him as she huge a watery laugh

The two of the sat there for what felt like an eternity, their bodies intertwined. No words needed to be said, they were so at home with one another that words didn't even need to be said to communicate what either of them felt

* * *

"Have you been here all this time? Leo looked up and saw DI Johnson come in to the hospital room

"I didn't want to leave her" The DI nodded "I can't believe she suffered for so long in silence"

"I can't believe how this went unnoticed" Leo said sadly "It shouldn't have come down to this. She should have never lived her life in such fear"

"We've got him though, Ryan Thompson. He's a notorious dealer with one hell of a temper. We've brought him in suspicion of murder but hopefully we can pin him down for a lot more"

"Will he go away for ever?" a sleepy sounding voice came and the two men looked down and saw Erin blearily staring up at them

"A very long time" the DI nodded "He won't ever come near you again; we'll make sure of that. But there's only one more thing to do now Erin"

"What's that?" she said pushing herself up into a sitting position

"What are we going to do with you?" he said smiling gently "You've not been talking to social services"

"I don't want to" Erin said avoiding eye contact with both of them

Leo and DI Johnson both saw that she was in danger of clamming up on them and so they tried a different route

"Where are you going to go? You can't go back on the street, that's no place for young ladies like you. And we don't really have any family to put you with; they're the people who can find you somewhere safe to go"

"No" she shook her head wildly "I don't want to go with anyone"

"Erin, listen to me" Leo said cutting in "We need to find you somewhere to go. I know it's not what you want. But you're going to need a place to sleep and do your homework"

Erin looked up at Leo and he saw how scared and vulnerable she looked "I don't know" she mumbled

"It'll be a fresh start" the DI coaxed "And you'll have a safe, warm place to go and you'll still be able to do all the things you love like drawing" Erin looked up at him slightly puzzled "We saw your drawings in your room. They're very good; you're a very talented girl"

"They're rubbish" she shook her head

"No one is going to force you to go anywhere you don't want to but we need to make sure you're safe and sound. Its decision time Erin"

Erin looked across at DI Johnson and Leo who were both watching her intently. Her gaze moved back down and she sighed resignedly. She knew she had limited options now and she was going to go whether she liked it or not

"Ok, I'll talk to them" she said wrinkling her nose, obviously not totally satisfied with what she had just agreed to

"Good girl" DI Johnson said leaving the room to give Erin and Leo some space

* * *

Back at the lab Nikki was analysing the results from DNA sample they had taken from Ryan Thompson against the residue from under the fingernails

"Well?" Harry said looking nervous

Nikki smiled "It's a match"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the phone to give DI Johnson the good news

"_Johnson?"_

"Hi, It's Harry Cunningham. We've just got the results back from the DNA analysis"

"_And?"_

"It's a definite match. The residue from under Karen Jones' fingernails was from Ryan Thompson"

"_That's the best news I've heard for a long time, I'm going to interview him now and I'm sure we'll nail him"_

The phone rung off and Harry turned to Nikki and smiled "I don't know about you but I need a drink after today"

She retuned his smile "Only if you're paying"

He rolled his eyes "Since when did I become your personal cash point?"

"You've always been my personal cash point" she teased "Exactly what any man should be"

Harry sighed dramatically and pulled on his coat follwing Nikki out of the lab and towards the pub

* * *

In the interview room DI Johnson sat down at the table and watched Ryan Thompson carefully

"You're very sure of yourself aren't you Ryan?"

"I've done nothing wrong" he sneered

"Do you know a Karen Jones?"

"Nope"

"What about her daughter Erin?" DI Johnson watched as Ryan's face suddenly twitched "She knows you, she knows you very well"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"She tells me that you and her mother used to get very drunk and goes up to her room and abuse her. She told me you used to make it worse by telling her mother lies about her"

"Rubbish, I told you I don't know her"

"She also tells me that you used to give her mother drugs. And then she told me something very serious indeed" DI Johnson paused

"Go on" Ryan taunted

"She told me that you made her have sex with you"

"She's a liar" Ryan yelled

"I thought you didn't know her?" the officer said raising an eyebrow" but Ryan remained silent

"See this is what I think happened. Her mother, Karen Jones was an addict and you were her dealer. Now we know the family was very poor and there was no way Karen would have been able to afford your high prices and so you made a deal. She would sleep with you and you would fund her habit. You also knew that Karen had a daughter, little Erin. Karen knocked Erin around and you loved to see that. For some sick reason it made both of you feel powerful to see the little girl cower away from you. So you made things worse for Erin told her mother lies about her and of course Karen would believe you. You were her dealer, she wasn't going to go against anything you said and let's face it she didn't really care for Erin and so she played along with your little game; Making Erin's life a living hell. How many times she dragged her battered little body down to the hospital I dread to think. But then you wanted more. It wasn't enough to see her squirm under the beatings, you wanted control over her. So this is what happened you stopped giving drugs to her mother and told her the only way you would help her is if she got Erin to sleep with you. And you told Erin that she could make it all better. But Erin didn't want to, but you wore her down, she didn't want to see her mother like this. Erin's a good girl, she thought she was making this better but you were playing sick games with hr mind. And you made her sleep with you. She didn't want to"

"She was asking for it" Ryan spat

"She's seventeen years old. You raped and beat a seventeen year old girl" DI Johnson yelled "Just to get some control and power. But then Erin ran, she ran for her life and you couldn't find her. I bet you looked but Erin's not stupid. She ran far away from you and Karen. But still no Erin, well Karen didn't care in the slightest but you wanted her back. You wanted to keep playing your games. Well Karen was of no use to you now, there was no Erin and so you killed Karen and went after Erin"

"She deserved it" Ryan grinned nastily

"Who Karen or Erin?" the DI asked "Erin had done nothing to you. She was just a lonely, battered little girl who was trying to make the best of a horrible situation"

"And I enjoyed every minute of it" Ryan sneered and DI Johnson felt the sick rise in his throat

"We've got DNA samples of yours which match to those found under Karen Jones' fingernails and we know all about what you did to that poor little girl"

"She wanted it as badly as I did" Ryan bellowed

"No" the DI shook his head feeling the nausea rise in his throat "You twisted her and manipulated her into doing something she most certainly didn't want to do. And so Ryan Thompson, I am arresting you for the murder or Karen Jones, rape and child abuse of her daughter and dealing 'class a' drugs. Et him out of my sight" He spat leaving the room without even so much as taking a second glance at the evil man who'd he'd sat before

* * *

"You're going aren't you?" Erin looked up at Leo

They'd been chatting for a while now but both knew the inevitable had arrived

He nodded "You need to get some sleep; you've got a big day tomorrow with moving to your new place"

Erin sniffed back some tears "I'm scared"

"You've been a very brave girl. I know this seems a huge step but it's for the best" he gently squeezed her hand and stood up

"Thank you" she said "For not giving up on me"

Leo smiled "Don't you ever give up on yourself. Promise me you'll talk to people, they only want to help you"

Erin nodded "I promise"

He made his way towards the door and turned back to her "Stay safe Erin, but most of all be happy" and with that he walked out of the door shutting it behind him

Erin lay there with tears running down her face, she tried to cover her sobs by crying into a pillow but she knew they would be able to hear her. She'd always prided herself in keeping composed, she hid her emotions away so as not to get hurt but in the last few days Erin had opened her heart up to these strangers. Now they were leaving one by one and she was going to be alone again. She felt her heart break once more and the pain was almost unbearable. She turned her face away and sobbed her heart and soul out into the pillow

* * *

"Could you give this to Erin" Leo said as he passed Doctor Myles on his way out of the hospital

"You're going?" he said accepting the small white envelope Leo passed him

"It's for the best" Leo said although the emotion in his voice betrayed him slightly

"You done wonders for her" the doctor smiled

"I don't know about that" Leo said dropping his gaze to the floor

"She's comfortable around you. If you hadn't been there to pick up the pieces, I don't know what would have happened to her"

Leo sighed "She's going to start a whole new life now there will be people around her who can do the same"

"Not the same as you" Doctor Myles shrugged "Take care Leo"

"You too" the older man said walking out of the hospital

He was glad that he now had his back to the doctor as he walked out of the hospital and out of Erin's' life. At least now, no one could see the tears streaming down his face.

**Author's note: Phew, complex chapter. I hope it made sense. Don't you worry; I'm not quite done with Erin just yet. There's a bit more to come if you'll be patient and bear with me!**


	12. Not my path

Erin tied the final knot in her laces as she perched on the end of her hospital bed. Dressed in a new set of clothes that someone had kindly found for her, Erin knew that today was the day everything changed once more

"How're you feeling then?" she looked up to see Doctor Myles standing in the doorway

Erin shrugged in reply "Ok I guess"

"Are you nervous?" He asked stepping into the room

"I don't get nervous" she said defensively

He nodded knowing the arguing with her wasn't going to help the situation "There's a social worker waiting just outside, she's going to take you to where you'll be staying from now on"

Erin nodded and stood up, smoothing out her clothes, she started to make her way towards the door but Doctor Myles gently stopped her

"I've been told to give you this" he said handing her a small white envelope

"Who's it from?" she said curiously, accepting it from him

"I think you know that already" the doctor smiled "He said that you should open it and read it any time you feel lost"

She nodded; trying to keep composed she made her way out of the room and into the corridor

"Take care Erin" Doctor Myles said giving her shoulder a quick squeeze

Erin grunted in reply and turned to see a woman standing there with a false grin plastered across her face

"You must be Erin then" she said holding out her hand

"Obviously" Erin muttered, looking at this woman's put on happiness was beginning to make her sick

"I'm Jane and I'm going to be taking you to your new place" her hand was still held out towards Erin

"Whatever" she said stressing each syllable and refusing to accept this woman's hand

Jane coughed slightly "Well we better get going then…and try to smile Erin. You look so much prettier when you do"

Erin's scowl darkened at that point and Jane guessed that Erin was thinking bad thoughts about her that were too crude to be verbalised. They made their way out of the car park and towards Jane's car. Erin snorted in disgust when she saw it, Jane sighed, she remembered from reading Erin's file and from talking to the doctor that Erin was likely to become defensive when comforted with an unfamiliar situation and she would do everything she could not to help the social workers. Jane had been told that Erin had an immediate dislike for anyone with the word 'social' in the job title

"Put your seatbelt on Erin" she said as they climbed in the car

Erin scowled at her, still not breaking her silence

"What's that in your hand?" Jane said noticing the small white envelope

Erin hid it away from her and held it tighter in her hands

Jane sighed "Ok Erin, we'll be there in about half an hour"

Erin continued her silent treatment, keeping her face and body utterly composed. She looked at the letter in her hand and gave a quick glance across at Jane who had her eyes firmly fixed on the road. The letter was for anytime she felt lost, Erin deicide that now was as good a time as ever and so she gently unpeeled the envelope and saw a small folded piece of paper inside if it. She unfolded it gently, trying hard not to attract any attention from Jane. Her eyes flicked over the words on the paper as she read silently to herself

_Dear Erin,_

_I want you to know that the world is not as cold and lonely as it has been made out to you. There are good people in the world, people who are kind and honourable, people like you. You are one of the bravest young ladies that I have ever met; you have such so much courage and determination in you. I am sure that whatever path you choose to take; you will do so with nobility and fortitude. But remember you are in control of your life and you must do whatever you think is right. I have come to know you well enough, to be confident that you will do the right thing. Never give up on yourself Erin, hold your head high as you go about your life and remember there is good in the world and there is hope. As long as you can hold onto that, you will never be alone again._

_Leo _

Erin turned her face away and stared hard out of the car window until all the scenery around her became nothing but fuzzy shapes. She swallowed hard as she felt a lump of emotion rise in her throat

"Is that from a friend?" the social worker asked

"None of your business" Erin muttered

"We're nearly there; you'll soon have a nice safe place to rest your head. You must be worn out after all you've been through"

Erin didn't reply she couldn't even muster up the strength, she felt emotionally empty. She was travelling along a dismal looking road with rain not helping set the mood any brighter. She looked out of the window and tried her hardest not to cry, Erin wanted to believe Leo's words, and she wanted to believe that everything would be alright now. But she had a horrible feeling inside of her that the people she met in the last few days were the only good people left in the world

'_Remember you are in control of your life and you must do whatever you think is right'_

This didn't feel right for Erin, she was sure this wasn't the path for her. She closed her eyes again and tried to focus on what her heart was telling her to do

"It's a nice place your going to, you'll like it" the social worker interrupted her thoughts

"And what would you know about what I like" she snapped "You know nothing about me, I'm just another case to you. You have no idea about what I actually want" Erin shouted

"I'm trying to do what's best for you" the social worker said, trying hard to keep her patience

"This isn't what's best for me. This is not my path" Erin yelled

And with that Erin had made up her mind, she undid her seatbelt and pulled the passenger door open. Before the social worker could react Erin hurled herself out of the car. An expensive looking sports car swerved to avoid hitting the girl and sounded its horn angrily. Erin crawled to the curb and picked herself up and ran. She could hear the social worker calling and running after her but Erin was faster than she was, if living and sleeping rough taught you one thing, it was to think fast and run even faster. She could taste blood in her mouth and could feel a warm liquid oozing down her face; she dreaded to think what kind of state she was in. She'd worked out by now that her legs weren't hurting so she took that as a good sign, her left arm stung as the wind whipped around it as she hurtled down the streets but she didn't dare to stop and look. She had to keep running, like she always did but this time she wasn't running away from something. This time Erin Jones was running to something.


	13. Hello again

Later that evening, Leo and Nikki were pouring over some samples from a new case when DI Johnson rushed into the lab looking slightly out of breath

"Erin's gone…" he said leaning on the table for support

"What?" Leo's head shot up in shock

"I thought she was going to her new home" Nikki said with the same mixture of shock and confusion that was apparent in Leo's voice

"Apparently they were about ten minutes into the car journey when Erin started yelling about how this wasn't the right thing for her and how no one knew what she wanted" the DI's breathing was more steady now

At that moment Harry walked back into the lab after completing a post-mortem "What's wrong?" he said looking at the shocked faces in front of him

"Erin's run off again" Leo sighed

"She threw herself out of the car, narrowly missing being run over by another one and then she legged it" the DI said shaking his head

"Was she hurt?" Nikki said gripping the table to steady herself

"The social worker couldn't get to her before she ran off but apparently there was quite a bit of blood"

"I'm not surprised" Leo said sitting down on a nearby stool "Do you know where's she's got to?"

DI Johnson shook his head "I've got uniformed officers out searching but London's a big area and Erin's been on the streets before"

"She's only just recovered from hospital. She'll still be quite weak" Harry said looking grim

"I know" the DI bit his lip "I was half hoping she'd been in contact" the three pathologists shook their heads "Then we have pretty much no idea where she is"

"A seventeen year old girl can't go around unnoticed for very long" Nikki said looking up at the DI hopefully

"This is Erin Jones; she was off the radar for a month and a half before anyone found her"

Nikki buried her head in her hands "She's not stupid, she knows how to avoid people now" the DI said sounding frustrated "Look I'm going to have to get out there and look for her. If you here from her, call me"

They nodded and DI Johnson left the room almost as quickly as he came in

"That girl is a law unto herself" Leo sighed

"That's pretty daring even for Erin" Harry said sitting down next to Nikki

"She could be seriously hurt" Nikki said looking extremely worried "You don't jump from a moving car and not get injured"

"She might just have some lacerations" Harry said trying to soothe Nikki

"He said there was a lot of blood" she sighed

"She might get in contact with us" Harry said hopefully

"We let her down" Leo said bitterly "She's right, sticking her with a group of strangers is not what's right for her"

The three pathologists looked at each other with despair in their eyes. They just hoped that wherever Erin was, it was somewhere where she was safe

* * *

The next morning Harry pulled into the car park trying to shake the tiredness from his system. He'd been up half the night with Leo and Nikki, scouting the area for any trace of Erin but to no avail. He glanced round the car park remembering where Leo had told him where he'd first found her. Harry shook his head, annoyed at himself for being so hopeful, of course she wouldn't be in the same place where she'd first been found. Things wouldn't happen so easily. He moved into the lab and set about his daily business, the lab was quiet and he seemed to be the first one in there. He went to check the time, wondering if he was early, but his watch wasn't on his wrist. He sighed as he remembered leaving it in the cutting room after the post mortem yesterday. Harry moved across the lab and pushed open the doors to the cutting room but something made him stop in shock.

On one of the tables was someone lying there, curled up asleep. It wasn't a corpse as they looked very much alive and they were breathing. Harry didn't even need to take a step further to see who it was

"Erin" he said gently and the girl muttered in her sleep

Her eyes flickered open and she saw Harry standing there in front of her eyebrows raised

"Hi" she said shortly not quite sure of what else to say

Harry shook his head as she sat up on the table. She had some deep cuts and grazes across her face; he could see her bare arm had a deep cut that had been bleeding quite heavily, he could see large amounts of grit in it. Her clothes were smeared with blood and dirt

"You know there are nicer places to sleep than the cutting room"

"Sorry" she said sheepishly

"How did you get in here without setting off the alarms?"

"You really don't want to know" she said inspecting her arm

Harry moved over to one of the side benches and grabbed the first aid kit. Erin went to move but Harry turned and stopped her

"You back up there" he pointed back to the table "I need to clean you up, but first I need to make a call"

He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and whilst keeping a wary eye on Erin, he punched in the digits of a number very familiar to him "Hello Leo?" he said

"_Harry, what is it?" _Leo tired voice came through

"I've found Erin" he said

"_Where was she?"_

"Asleep on one of the tables in the cutting room"

"_What? How?"_ Leo voice was full of surprise

"I have no idea but she's sitting right in front of me"

"_Is she ok?"_

"She's a little worse for wear. I'm going to check her out and clean her up. She seems to have half of London's roads stuck in her arm"

"_I'm just leaving for work now. I'll be with you in about forty minutes"_

Harry made a noise of approval and hung up the phone "You threw yourself out of a car?" he said to Erin trying hard to conceal a smile

"I had very limited choices" she protested

"What was wrong with waiting till you stopped at traffic lights or something?" he said rummaging around in the first aid kit

"That's too easy"

"Oh of course, how stupid of me" Harry said sarcastically taking her arm and wiping it with some swabs

"Ow!" she winced and tried to pull her arm away but Harry held it tightly in place "You've got a lot of grit in there, I need to clean it or it'll get infected"

Erin mumbled something in reply but let Harry continue with his work.

They sat in silence until a while later when Leo entered the cutting room, looking shocked when he saw Erin

"It's not that bad" she said seeing Leo's expression

"I think I'll be the judge of that" Harry said picking up some tweezers to try and remove the grit out of her arm

"What were you thinking Erin?" Leo said sitting down beside her "You could have been killed"

"I read your letter" she turned her head away from him "And I decided that this wasn't what I wanted. And you said I have to do what I think is right"

"I don't think he meant that to imply throwing yourself out of a moving car" Harry said glancing up at Erin

"I didn't throw myself out of a moving car, I jumped" Erin said pedantically "I…Ow!" she winced as Harry pulled another piece of grit out of her arm "I don't want to go with a bunch of strangers"

"Well we can't keep you here indefinitely" Leo sighed

"Please don't make me go back there" Erin begged

"I'm going to phone DI Johnson and let him know you're ok" Leo said firmly shooting Erin such a stern look she knew not to argue

"It's clean now but you're going to need stitches in that and some for your head" Harry said straightening up "Did you hit your head when you fell?" she nodded "Have you passed out since?

"No" she shook her head wincing slightly at the movement

"Any nausea?"

"A bit" she said feeling her stomach churning

"Ok…any other pain?" He asked gently trying to stop her squirming as he placed stitches in her arm

"Not really" she said

"Not really?" Harry questioned

"It stings all over" she murmured

"Well that's what happens when you get up close and personal with a road" He said placing a dressing over the wound "I'm going to sort your head out now. You never know, hitting your head might have actually knocked some sense into you"

Erin glared at him but still let him continue his work

* * *

"Ok thanks James…" Leo hung up the phone and looked up just in time to see Nikki enter the lab

"Has Erin reappeared?" she asked as Leo motioned for her to come into his office

"You could say that" he said stacking a pile of files on his desk

"Where is she?" Nikki said looking bemused

"The cutting room…" He looked up to see Nikki's expression of horror "Not in that way. Harry found her sleeping in there this morning"

Nikki let out a relieved laugh "Sleeping there?"

Leo nodded "According to Harry she seemed quite comfortable. I can't work out why she came here though"

"Maybe…" Nikki said deep in thought "…Maybe it was the one place she could go where she knew she would feel safe"

Leo looked up at Nikki "Do you think so?"

Nikki nodded "Of all the places in the world this place is probably a sort of sanctuary to her. The last safe place she knows of"

The two of them looked at each other; Leo knew Nikki was right; this girl kept coming back here. He didn't like to admit it but he'd grown quite attached to her since he'd found her and it seemed she was becoming quite attached to them as well.

**Author's note: Just a quick question. Does anyone think these chapters are too dialogue heavy or do I have the right amount?. Because I'm not sure whether it reads ok**


	14. A safe place for tonight

Leo walked out of his office a while later after making several long winded phone calls. He walked into the main lab just as Harry was bringing Erin out of the cutting room and he grimaced as he saw her appearance. Harry had done his best to clean her up but despite his best efforts she looked a mess. The deep cut on her arm had been cleaned up and was now covered by a dressing. The cuts on her face were stitched but Leo could see some bruising beginning to form. Her clothes were stained with mud and blood and he could see numerous grazes all over the rest of her body

"Superficial wounds for the most part" Harry said as he caught site of Leo "Some are a little deeper than others but I've cleaned them and dressed them so she'll live"

"I'm sorry" she mumbled, all traces of bravado had now disappeared

"You've just recovered from severe hypothermia, you need to be resting not throwing yourself around like that" Leo frowned

"I know, it's just…" Erin paused looking for the right words to express herself "I don't want to be on my own again"

"They'll be other people at your new place" Leo replied

"I don't mean it like that. I mean I don't want to be sitting in a room with a whole bunch of strangers"

"I hate to be the one to point this out to you" Harry grinned "But that's what you're sort of doing now"

Erin turned to Harry and frowned "You're not total strangers more like slightly estranged friends"

Harry snorted with laughter "I'll take that as a compliment" and the corners of Erin's mouth twitched as she tried to conceal a smile

"I've put a call in to your social worker, she's coming over here and we're going to sort all of this out" Leo said to Erin whose smile had immediately vanished

"Ok…" Erin said despondently, her happy mood had immediately vanished at the phrase 'social worker'

"You're going to stay put until she comes. So can I trust you not to run off again?" he asked the young girl and she nodded "Good"

"Professor Dalton?" a lab technician called interrupting the conversation "There's a new case for you"

"Thank you" Leo nodded to the technician "Right I've got to go and sort this out, try to keep out of trouble"

"Are you talking to me or Erin?" Harry grinned

"Both of you" he sighed "Just…don't do anything stupid"

"Like throw yourself out of a moving car" Harry said quietly so that only Erin could hear him

"I jumped" she whispered and Harry tried hard not to laugh at the girl's expression of defiance

* * *

A few minutes later Harry was sitting at his desk typing away at his laptop with Erin sitting close beside him. He'd told her he was 'keeping an eye on her' but Erin was sure she was being used as a distraction so Harry didn't have to do his paperwork

"So what's so bad about this social worker?" he said pausing to stretch out his hand after a few minutes of writing

"She's a social worker, isn't that bad enough?" Erin glowered but Harry raised his eyebrows and she decided to elaborate "She thinks she knows what's best for me when in reality I'm just another case that she can wash her hands of so she can go home and forget all about me"

"And you don't think she's helping?" Harry asked gently, Erin shook her head

"And now I've screwed everything up. She's going to be angry with me, Leo's angry with me…"

"He's not angry with you..." Nikki cut in as she came into the lab after hearing the last part of their conversation "He's just worried"

"We all are" Harry agreed "When DI Johnson told us you'd run away, we didn't know what to think"

"I'm sorry" she said and she sounded genuinely apologetic

"We're not the one's you should be apologising too" Nikki said resting a comforting hand on Erin's shoulder

"Though if you do feel like grovelling and pleading for our forgiveness, it wouldn't go a miss" Harry teased and Nikki hit him playfully on the shoulder

"Leave her alone" Nikki said smiling

"She started it" Harry said sounding very similar to a small child

"And I'm finishing it" Nikki said in an authoritative voice although her smile betrayed her tone "Now Harry Cunningham get on with your paperwork this minute or I'll make sure you have to do all our paperwork for a month"

Harry gave a mock salute to Nikki and grabbed a folder from the ever increasing pile

"Come on" she said to Erin leading the girl over to her own desk "We'll watch him suffer from over here"

"I heard that" Harry said raising an eyebrow

"You were meant to" Nikki called over her shoulder laughing

* * *

Leo walked into the lab a little while later and couldn't help but smile at the scene that lay before him. Erin was sitting with Nikki at her desk and she was showing the young girl something on her computer screen. Erin's eyes were shining brightly as she sat, totally absorbed in what Nikki was saying. Leo walked over to Harry's desk, not wanting to disturb the two females just yet

"Nikki's explaining how she does a facial reconstruction" Harry explained as he shifted a file from one pile to another "To be honest I think Nikki just enjoys showing off"

"I heard that Cunningham" Nikki called from across the room

"You were meant to" Harry said imitating the tone Nikki had used with him earlier

"You two are not being a good role model for Erin" Leo sighed trying hard to conceal a smile

"She started it" Harry tried again

"Don't even go there" Leo said shaking his head "Erin, do you want to come into my office away from these two…" Leo paused trying to find a word to describe his two colleagues

"Wonderful, amazing, top notch pathologists" Harry finished for him

"I was going to say immature, lazy pathologists who better be finished with their paperwork soon otherwise I'm keeping them here until they do" Leo said grinning as he lead Erin towards his office, they could still hear Harry and Nikki bickering as they got further away

Leo opened the door to his office and ushered Erin inside. The young girl sighed loudly as she saw Jane sitting there with the same false smile she'd had plastered across her face when Erin had met her at the hospital

"Oh Erin, I was so worried about you" Jane said standing up and taking in the girl's tousled appearance

"Like hell you were" Erin muttered under her breath but Leo shot her a look and so she kept quiet

"Now we're going to sort this out once and for all" Leo said offering Erin a seat

"I'm not going back there…" Erin started but Leo stopped her in mid flow

"Erin please, just hear everyone out first ok?" and she nodded

"Erin, I am trying to do what's best for you" Jane started and Erin bit her lip hard to stop herself from saying something "You've been through an awful lot and you need somewhere to recuperate. I can provide you with that but if you keep running off like that, you're going to put yourself in more danger"

"You're not trying to do what's best for me" Erin said trying to fight back the tears "You don't understand, I don't want to be on my own anymore"

"There will be other people there…" Jane began

"I think Erin means she doesn't want to be with strangers" Leo cut in and Erin looked up at him and with a grateful expression on her face

"That may well be, but I am her social worker and I know what's best for her" Jane said frowning at Leo

"No you don't, you really don't" Erin said and Leo could hear the exhaustion in her voice "Id rather be back living on the streets than anywhere you take me" she said to Jane bitterly

"I'm not going to respond to childish threats" Jane warned

"They're not threats" Erin said shaking with emotion "They're my feelings" with that she ran out of Leo's office with tears running down her face

* * *

Harry and Nikki were still sitting at their desk in the main lab; their gentle teasing had stopped as they'd been straining to hear anything of the meeting going on in Leo's office. They'd heard Erin's raised voice and Nikki sighed loudly

"All she needs is someone to love and understand her"

"Don't we all" said Harry and Nikki snorted

"Is this your sensitive side coming out?"

Harry rolled his eyes "What is it with women and always wanting to see men's sensitive side?"

Nikki was going to reply when Erin ran out of Leo's office with tears streaming down her face

"Erin?" Nikki said running over to her

The young girl just fell into Nikki's arms sobbing "They don't understand" she kept repeating

"Shh" Nikki soothed stroking Erin's hair gently to try and comfort her "It's alright Erin"

The two of them stood there for a few more minutes until Erin's sobs had subsided; she pulled away from Nikki and wiped her eyes

"I'm sorry I made your shoulder wet" She said, her breathing was still slightly shaky

"It's fine" Nikki smiled gently

"This is a new experience for Nikki; it's usually her that's dissolving someone's shoulder with her tears"

"Harry?" Nikki said turning towards him "Shut up"

Harry laughed at Nikki's tone "I'll go and get you a glass of water" he said to Erin who smiled gratefully

Nikki led Erin to her desk and passed her a tissue "It's my secret stash"

Erin smiled weakly "I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble"

Nikki shook her head "You haven't at all; I promise you we're going to sort this all out, ok?"

Erin nodded, sniffing back a few fresh tears, wishing in her heart that she could believe Nikki's words

* * *

"That girl is trouble" Jane sighed

Leo felt the anger boil up inside of him "Erin has been through an awful lot, she is a vulnerable child and she needs our help, not your jibes"

"With respect Professor Dalton" Jane said pursuing her lips together "You are a pathologist not a social worker and you have no idea about Erin"

"I have no idea?" Leo scoffed "Were you there when Erin was curled up in the car park curled up, frozen half to death? Where you there when Erin had to face to the years of abuse? Were you there to hold Erin's hand when she was too frightened to sleep?"

"No but…" Jane stuttered

"If you have no idea about this girl, how do you expect to help her?" Leo sighed, frustrated with this woman sitting before him

* * *

Leo's office door opened making Erin jump in shock. She was still sitting with Nikki and Harry who were still comforting Erin

"It's going to be fine" Nikki whispered to Erin as Leo and Jane walked over to her

"Erin" Leo said to the young girl gently "Me and Jane have had a talk…"

"…And I'm going to pass this case over to my superior" Jane said frowning at Leo "This means we're not going to be able to sort this out till tomorrow. I'll be speaking with him tonight and we'll try and sort something out"

"Where will I go?" Erin said looking shaken

"Professor Dalton has kindly offered to let you stay with him for tonight as he seems to know what is best for you" Jane said with a slight bitter tone that did not go unnoticed

Erin face broke into a smile "It's only temporarily" Jane said frowning

"Thank you" Erin said to Leo who gave her a quick smile

"We're going to sort this out Erin" Leo said as Harry saw Jane out of the lab "I'm told you I'm not going to give up on you and I'm going to stick to my promise"

Erin looked around at Harry, Nikki and Leo and hoped that somehow things were going to get better. She'd lived for so long in loneliness and that now she had people around her who cared, she couldn't bear to be alone again. But Erin felt so lost, there were people like Jane getting in her way and Erin didn't know which way to turn or who to trust anymore.


	15. At the Dalton residence

At the end of his shift Leo had taken a tired Erin back to his house. He'd arranged it with social services that he would let her stay for the night with the intention of getting things sorted for Erin tomorrow. Everyone had agreed that Erin would be in no state to sort things out rationally when she was still in a state from the meeting with Jane in Leo's office. The journey from the lab to Leo's house was a quiet one, Erin had suddenly fallen silent when they'd left the lab and was now staring intently at her hands as she clasped and unclasped them in a nervous state. They pulled up to his house and Leo sighed as he finally realised why Erin had gone quiet, the last time she had been in a house would have been when she was at home with her mother. The last memories she would have of her home would be being beaten and raped by people she thought cared about her.

"I promise you you'll be safe here for the night" Leo said as they got out of the car

Erin said nothing as she grabbed her rucksack of belongings and followed Leo to the front door. He let her in and she hung about in the hallway seemingly unsure of what to do

Leo smiled gently at the nervous young girl before him "You go in there" he said gesturing to the living room "And I'm going to make us something to eat and we'll have a little chat"

Erin nodded and moved into the living room, all the while she kept her gaze down at her feet. She sat down on one of the chairs tentatively as Leo bustled about in the kitchen. She finally plucked up the courage to gaze around at her surroundings and her eyes fell upon a picture of Leo, a woman and a young girl

"My family" she heard a voice say and she turned around to see Leo standing in the doorway "They died a few years ago"

"I'm sorry" Erin mumbled

"I know how much it hurts to loose someone"

"But it doesn't…I don't miss her, I don't feel sad that she's gone" Erin said looking back down at her feet

"That's understandable, she abused you Erin and now she's gone it's natural to feel…relieved, but what about your dad?"

Erin tensed at the word and Leo bit his tongue annoyed at himself for pushing her so hard "I'm sorry I shouldn't…"

"No it's fine" Erin relaxed slightly "He died when I was a baby, I don't really remember him but I'm sure plain Jane the useless social worker told you all about him" She said rolling her eyes

Leo chuckled "I'll admit she's not the world's best social worker"

"Understatement of the century…" Erin muttered

"…But I know a bit about your dad" Leo said picking and choosing his words carefully, Erin turned to him and gestured for him to continue "I know that he suffered from depression and he…he took his own life"

"Mum told me it was my fault. She said that I was really bad as a baby so dad killed himself so he wouldn't have to be around me"

Leo bit his lip to steady his emotions and sat down beside Erin "That's not true at all. Depression is a fairly common mental illness and sometimes it can get too much for people. I bet your dad loved you very much but he was unable to cope with things and so he thought the best way to deal with it would be to end his life. But that wasn't your fault; you were only a little baby"

"But she said…" Erin was nearly on the brink of tears

"She told you lies, Erin. She told you lots of lies which she thought justified hurting you. But they're all false and she did not have the right to hurt you in that way"

Leo put his arm around Erin's shaking shoulders and the Erin leaned into him. Leo suddenly felt very protective of her, like he used to when his daughter was alive. He sat with Erin for a few minutes in silence, the two of them just content with each other's company. Suddenly the cooking timer rang making both of them jump in shock

"I better go and get that" he said standing up "My cooking's bad enough without it being burnt to a crisp"

Erin smiled gently wiping a few stray tears from her face. This was the one house she felt comfortable in and although her future felt uncertain, this evening Erin felt safer than she had done in her whole life.

* * *

A few hours later, Leo was just making his way upstairs when his phone rang. Cursing under his breath he grabbed it quickly before it woke up Erin, who he'd just settled down on his sofa

"_Leo?"_ he heard Nikki's voice

"Nikki, how are you?" Leo said quietly

"_I'm fine…Is she alright Leo?"_

Leo smiled, touched at Nikki concern for the young girl "She fine. In fact she's just dropped off to sleep on my sofa"

"_Good"_ Nikki's voice sounded relieved as soon as she heard that Erin was safe for the night _"What's going to happen to her?"_

"Tonight she's staying here. Tomorrow she's going to meet with another social worker who's going through her case file tonight and hopefully things will get sorted out" Leo said listening to the sound of Erin's gentle breathing coming from the living room

"It's just…" Nikki paused fumbling for the right words "I don't want her to go to any strangers"

"Neither do I Nikki" Leo sighed "Neither do I"

* * *

The next morning Leo made his way downstairs quietly so as not to disturb Erin but was pleasantly surprised when he saw awake and folding up the blankets he'd given her the night before

"You're up early" he said yawning slightly

"Force of habit" Erin said wrinkling her nose

"Unusual habit for most teenagers" Leo smiled

"I can't help it. For some reason I can't sleep past four o' clock" Erin shrugged

"Well the early bird will catch the proverbial worm" Leo said and Erin laughed

She liked the way Leo talked to her, he'd actually engage her in a conversation and talk to her like an adult. Not like the social workers who patronised her, nor like her mother who ignored her completely unless she was screaming at her while Erin got another beating

"We're going to leave to go to the lab in about half an hour and then your new social workers going to meet us there"

"It's not Jane is it?" Erin grimaced

"No" Leo said "It's a new one. And there are going to sort things out but you have to stay calm and not run out of the room"

"Sorry about that" Erin said looking sheepish "It got too much"

"I know" Leo said gently "But we need to get this sorted in a calm and reasonable manner"

"I'm sorry" Erin said looking up at Leo "I've caused so much trouble and I keep disrupting your whole life"

Leo shook his head "That's not true at all. Erin, you lived in a place that wasn't right for you. It doesn't matter that you ran away or were too frightened to tell us anything to begin with. It's completely understandable, but the main thing is that we get you safe and in a place where you don't have to feel scared anymore"

Erin nodded and flicked a loose strand of hair out of her face. She wanted to believe Leo but her mother had planted seeds of doubt in her mind many years ago. All the years of lies and deceit still played on Erin's mind. Although she truly wanted to believe what Leo was telling her, Erin Jones had given up on a happy ending years ago.


	16. A question of duty

"Leo" Harry called as Leo and Erin entered the lab later the morning "There's a Robert Davies waiting in your office for you. I think he's the social worker" he said looking for Erin's reaction and sure enough Erin grimaced at the phrase 'social worker'

"Thanks Harry" Leo said gently steering Erin towards his where a man in his mid-thirties stood waiting for them

"Hi" he said holding out his hand "I'm Robert and I've taken over Erin's case"

"Leo Dalton" Leo said shaking the man's hand

"And you" Robert said looking at Erin who was standing behind Leo in an attempt not to be seen "must be the girl I've been reading up on"

Erin glanced across at the man who smiled at her and she tentatively shook his hand as she remembered what Leo had told her about staying calm

"Erin do you think we could have a little chat?" Robert said to the girl who was once more staring down at her feet. Erin shrugged

"There's a little room down the corridor that's not being used" Leo said showing them the way "I'll be right here if you need me" he said to Erin as she followed Robert inside

Leo closed the door and walked back to his office leaving the two of them alone for some privacy

* * *

"Now Erin" Robert began "I know you don't like social workers but we need to have a talk. So I'm going to give you a proposition" he paused "I promise I wont do the whole stereotypical social worker spiel on you, I will listen to you intently and I will make sure that you're completely happy with the outcome but you have to stay calm for me and you have to listen to what I have to say. Do we have an agreement?"

"Yeah" Erin murmured

"Shake on it?" Erin nodded and took his hand as they agreed on the conditions to the talk

"Now I've been reading up on your file" he said gesturing to the folder he had on his knees "And you've clearly not had a very good time. Now because you don't have any family we can put you with that leaves us with a bit of a problem. You're under eighteen and that means it's up to social services to find you a place to go. We did a check with the housing people and they don't want you living on your own so we've looked at getting you other accommodation which is where Jane was taking you but we had a little hitch didn't we Erin. Will you tell me about that?"

Erin nodded and sighed "Jane kept going on about how this was best for me and how she was trying to do the right thing but…but it's not the right thing for me"

"And why's that?"

"I don't want to go with strangers. I can't trust strangers, Mum brought strangers back to our house and they…they…"

"They hurt you" Robert finished for her and Erin nodded "That's understandable that you don't want to be on your own or with strangers but it leaves me with a dilemma"

"You're running out of places to put me"

"In a manner of speaking yes" Robert agreed "Jane passed this case over to me because she feels its very complex and it needs someone with a bit more experience. Now I know you've been through many horrible things and I want to find somewhere where you feel safe and happy. That is my main priority, nothing else. Will you help me do that Erin?"

She looked up at this new social worker. She hated to admit it but she liked him, he understood her and he genuinely looked like he wanted to help her

"Ok" she said agreeing and Robert gave her an encouraging smile

* * *

A little while later Robert was back with Leo in his office whilst Erin waited in the main lab with Nikki and Harry

"You care for her a lot don't you?" Robert asked

"She's been through so much" Leo sighed "I couldn't walk away from her when she needed someone the most"

"Did you feel it was your duty?"  
"It's a duty of a human being to help those in need, but I couldn't leave Erin. She needed someone whether it was my duty or not, she needed someone to help her. She's been ignored long enough; all she needs is someone to love and care for her. Someone who she can trust who's not going to turn there back on her when things get too tough"

"And you've been there with her, right from when you found her. It's very commendable"

"It's what any decent person would have done"

Robert shook his head "You'd be surprised how many people just walk past homeless kids these days"

"I'm very concerned about where she goes next" Leo said choosing his words carefully

"We're down to limited options now" Robert sighed

"What if I were to step in?" Leo asked

"As in foster her?" Leo nodded "It's a huge commitment"

"I know and believe me I wouldn't have said it if I hadn't thought long and hard about it"

"I don't doubt that for a second and you don't need to be a social worker to see how calm and relaxed she is around you but as I said it's a huge thing and not to be considered lightly"

"I understand that, I want to do what's best for Erin. She doesn't want to be with strangers and I promised I wouldn't give up on her"

Robert nodded "We'll talk to Erin about it and if she's ok with it we can get the ball rolling"

Leo smiled as Robert scribbled a note down in Erin's file. He'd made a promise to the young girl and he was determined to keep it

* * *

"Erin" Robert said as the young girl came back into Leo's office "Leo and I have had a chat, much like the one we've had and Leo's had an idea"

"What?" Erin said looking across at Leo

"If its alright with you, I'd like to consider fostering you"

Erin paused for a moment, mulling over her thoughts "Do you really mean it?"

"Yes" Leo nodded firmly

"Is that ok with you Erin?" Robert asked

Erin broke into a grin "Defiantly"

Robert nodded looking relieved "Well I'll get procedures started then. There are a few things I need to go through with you, legalities and such so Erin if you don't want to stay for the boring stuff. I'm sure it'll be fine if you wait outside"

Erin nodded and practically skipped out of the room with joy

"I think you might just have made her day" Robert laughed

"She's a good girl, I just want her to feel happy and safe" Leo said softly

* * *

Nikki and Harry were in the lab going over some toxicology results when Erin walked into the room with a smile on her face

"Well?" Nikki said looking up as Erin came across to them

"Can you keep a secret?" Erin said biting her lip

Nikki nodded "Leo might foster me"

"Really?" Nikki and Harry said in perfect unison and Erin nodded as she picked at the dressing on her arm

"Leave it alone" Harry scolded although the smile on his face betrayed his telling off

"Sorry" Erin said smoothing the dressing back over, wincing as she touched a particularly sore spot

"Do the cuts still hurt?" Nikki said having caught Erin's reaction

"A little, only when I catch them on something" and Nikki nodded

"I take it she's told you?" Leo said coming into the lab followed by Robert

"About your evil plan to take over the world?" Harry teased "I think you're going to have to rethink it slightly, you've been foiled by a seventeen year old with a tendency to throw herself out of cars"

Leo rolled his eyes "You're going to have to excuse my colleague over here" he said to Robert "He seems to be suffering from a lack of paperwork but I'm quite sure that can be fixed very easily"

Harry laughed "I have quite enough thank you" he said pointing to the mound on his desk

Robert smiled "Well I can see Leo's got you two under control already so he should have no trouble dealing with a seventeen year old. I'll get the procedures underway, Erin's a special case and high priority so things should be quick. If you're sure that is?"

"As I've ever been" Leo said and Erin beamed

Robert nodded and made his way out of the lab as he dialled a number into his mobile to get things underway

"Did you her that Erin, you're a special case?" Harry teased

"She's not the only one" Nikki said laughing as she saw Harry's expression

"I told you I was going to get things sorted" Leo said turning to Erin "And I will. I'm not going to let this go Erin Jones, you just wait and see"


	17. Interviews

Leo fiddled with the knot of his tie as he tried his best to straighten it with his shaking hands. It was the day that he would be interviewed by another social worker to test his suitability as a foster parent. Having gone through reams of paperwork and checks on his background Leo thought he was ready for this but he couldn't shake the nervous feeling off. He knew that this interview was the key moment and he had to make a good impression

"Any regrets?" a voice came from the doorway and he saw Erin standing there looking as nervous as he was

He shook his head "I have never been surer of anything in my life"

Erin gave a quick smile apparently comforted by his words. Leo looked across at the young girl and couldn't help but smile. She'd been staying at his house for a week since their meeting with Robert and already she was making remarkable process. The cuts and bruises were healing nicely and she wasn't looking quite so gaunt now. She was trying her hardest to put on a brave face but Leo knew that she was still haunted by the years of abuse and the nightmares were still coming back every night

"Come on" he said walking out of the room "We're going to get this sorted and then it's going to be a fresh start for us all"

Erin hesitated before she started to follow him; Leo noticed this and turned around to face her

"Erin?" he said recognising there was something troubling the young girl

She paused before finally saying "Do you believe in second chances?"

"Yes I do"

"Mum didn't" she said dropping her gaze to the floor

Leo sighed softly "Erin, she's gone and she can't hurt you anymore. This is going to be a fresh start and I promise you I will always keep you safe"

Erin murmured something in reply and her posture relaxed a lot more and even managed to give Leo a weak smile as they left his house

* * *

"Professor Dalton, being a forensic pathologist would involve a lot of irregular hours, how would you balance your job with having a vulnerable child in your care?"

The question came from an older social worker sitting in the corner of the room chewing on the end of her pen. Leo had been quizzed by a small group of social workers including Robert Davies and Jane for the past ten minutes and had had a whole range of questions fired at him

"Well…" Leo began "Not as irregular as it first seems. A majority of cases come through at perfectly reasonable times. And even if they didn't there would still be people who I dearly trust able to look after Erin"

"I assume these would be Nikki Alexander and Harry Cunningham?" Leo nodded "And have they had an experience with vulnerable children before?"

"They've been with Erin from the start and I know that she trusts them. She needs to be around people who she can trust, maybe Harry and Nikki haven't had lots of experience but they can offer her a trustworthy and reliable companionship which is what she needs right now" Leo said defensively and the social worker nodded

"How will you cope with Erin's 'unpredictable' nature?" this question came from Jane and Leo could hear the spite in her tone

Leo fought back the urge to shout at the woman and focused on keeping his tone calm and steady "From what I've found of Erin she's only been what you call 'unpredictable' because she's never known any different. Living with her mother meant she had to adapt to her rapidly changing moods and then living on the streets meant she had to make rash decisions just to stay alive. But I think this is all a part of Erin, I don't think the issue here is to do with coping with her 'unpredictable' behaviour but instead trying to embrace that part of her character and show her that she shouldn't be afraid to be herself and express her true feelings" Leo finished

Jane flushed, angry at Leo avoiding her trap as the other social workers murmured in agreement and scribbled notes down on their notepads

"Erin's going to need to go through counselling for the abuse and the rape, do you think your lifestyle can cope with this?" another question came

Leo nodded "As I said before, there are people I can trust to be around her if I can't be. Right now she needs someone she can trust and she needs a place where she can feel safe"

"And you think you're able to provide this?"

"Yes" Leo said shortly and the social worker scribbled something down nodding as they did so

* * *

Erin was with Harry and Nikki in the lab whilst Leo was away being interviewed with social services. The two pathologists were keeping a close eye on Erin and they had noticed she'd been quiet for the entire morning. Erin had been trying to distract herself with her favourite book but the words became blurry before her eyes and she seemed unable to take any of the plot line in. After reading the same paragraph over and over again she frowned in annoyance

"Pride and Prejudice?" Harry said looking over at the book she was attempting to read "I never took you for an Austen fan"

"I'm not really, only this book" Erin said folding the worn page down "When you're alone and you don't really have a family. You sort of immerse yourself in fictional families and try and persuade yourself you belong somewhere" she said sadly

"And there's me thinking you were pining away after Mr Darcy" Harry teased

"He's a fictional character from the nineteenth centaury, I am not that desperate" she said scornfully and Harry laughed

"Nikki is" he said raising his voice so the female pathologists could hear him "She's got a collection of about twenty 'Mills and Boone' at home and they look very battered and well read"

"And how would you know?" Nikki said raising her eyebrows "And anyway this is coming from the person who watches CSI and actually makes a list of all the medical mistakes"

Harry flushed red and murmured something before retuning back to his paperwork

"Leo told me you're going back to school next week" Nikki said sitting down beside Erin

"Yeah…" Erin said unenthusiastically

"You're not a big fan of school?" Nikki questioned

"Everyone picks on me. People in my class and the teachers, all day every day" she said avoiding Nikki's gaze

"What about friends?"

"I don't have any" Erin said bluntly "No one wanted to go near the girl who looked like she'd gone ten rounds with Amir Khan"

Nikki sighed sadly knowing full well what it was like to be the one left alone in the corner of the playground watching everyone chatter away in their groups, left all alone only watching never belonging

"At least you'll have school work to distract you" Harry said coming over to join them looking worried by this sudden revelation by Erin

"I'm crap at every subject" she said bitterly "And all the teachers know it"

Nikki and Harry shot each other worried glances. They hadn't heard Erin use this dark and bitter tone for a while and they were worried about what was going on in her mind

"Maybe it would be possible to move to a different school" Nikki said gently "After all Leo's place is quite a distance away from where you used to live"

Erin murmured in agreement but didn't sound convinced

* * *

Leo entered the lab a few hours later and was caught at the door by Nikki who had pulled him aside for a quick word

"How did it go?"

Leo sighed "I don't know. I tried my best but Jane was there and you know how keen she is on me" he said sarcastically "How's Erin been?"

"Very quiet" Nikki said frowning

"She's been like that for the last couple of days" Leo said rubbing his forehead

"She was talking to me about school. I get the impression she didn't have a good time there"

Leo nodded "I saw her old reports. Her grades are good considering what she had to go through but the teacher's comments are just malicious. One teacher called her an 'anti-social pupil who has little or no talent at the subject'"

Nikki sighed angrily "So if it wasn't bad enough she was being beaten black and blue at home, she was also being abused emotionally at school"

"I was thinking about getting her transferred. I haven't talked to her about it yet but from what I've found out and from what you've told me, putting her back in the same school would be hell for her"

"Do you think it's too early for her to go back to school in general?"

Leo shrugged "I think we have little choice. I've had the education authority writing to me, telling me once she's settled then she has to make a choice about her education"

"She's seventeen so she doesn't have to be in formal education…"

"I think it would do her good to get some routine back into her life" Leo said "But we haven't really spoken about it formally yet. I want to try and get this fostering complete but it seems never ending"

"Are you regretting it?" Nikki said looking concerned

Leo shook his head "No, I'm not giving up on Erin but all the paperwork and formalities seem to go on and on"

"I guess they're trying to make sure she's safe"

"Shame they didn't do that when her mother was breaking the bones in her body" Leo shook his head

"I know" Nikki said sadly "But she's here now and that's all that matters"

"She was asking me about second chances this morning. All I want o do is make her feel safe for once. But I don't know how I can do that if she doesn't believe in herself" he said sadly

Leo and Nikki looked across at Erin who was sitting over the other side of the lab picking at the corner of her book. Her eyes were full of sadness and she looked so lost. Even immersing her self in fiction to create a world in which she could escape seemed to no longer work. Although Erin was surrounded by more people than she had ever been before, the pains of loneliness and the years of abuse still cut deeply into her heart. After years of abuse she was forgetting what pain felt like, she only felt numbness which was worse. Pain would still make you feel alive but numbness just made you feel more and more lost.

**Authors note: Sorry I haven't updated this for ages. Last week was getting back into the school routine and the week before I was away on a Biology field trip in the middle of nowhere (literally) where I got to count plants for a week. Thus I do apologise for being an awful person and not updating this. I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit bland, I do have an idea for later chapters but I need to set it up first, so I apologise doubly for being a bit of a hermit these past weeks and for being a boring hermit with this chapter**


	18. Hurting and hugging

Later that evening, Leo and Erin were making their way back to Leo's house after a long and tiring day. Leo had told Erin about his meeting with the social worker but she'd just shrugged in reply and had barely said a word to him. As they travelled in his car, Erin turned her face away from Leo and started out of the window, watching the rain make patterns down the car window

"Erin?" Leo said as he heard the girl sniff

"What?" she said her voice full of emotion. She still did not turn her head towards him but Leo guessed she was crying

"Please talk to me" she turned her body further away from him and huddled closer to the window

Leo took this as a sign not to push things any further and the two of them continued their journey in silence

They were soon back at his house and the two of them set about their evening routine. Leo was getting increasingly worried about how quiet Erin was becoming, he knew she wasn't a loud girl by nature but she wasn't this quiet usually. She seemed distant, her eyes glazed over showing no emotion. She was picking at her dinner barely eating a thing and this made Leo extremely apprehensive

"I need to look at that cut on your arm now" Leo said gently sitting down on the sofa next to Erin was gazing distantly into space "Is that ok?"

Erin shrugged and he took that as a sign of consent. He gently peeled back the dressing on her arm. This was the last injury she had sustained from jumping out of Jane's car and it was also the deepest. He'd checked and cleaned it everyday and it had been healing nicely but as he looked at it today he saw a totally different story. The stitches had been ripped out and the wound had been bleeding badly since there was a lot of dried blood crusting around the wound, the skin around the wound looked red and raw and Leo could see the first signs of infection developing in the now open wound

"How did this happen Erin?" he asked gently

Erin shrugged for the second time

"Did you do this to yourself?" Leo asked

Erin paused for a moment and then looking up at him, said in a very quiet voice "Yes"

"Aright Erin" he gently soothed seeing tears well up in her eyes "Come on, let's go and get this cleaned up"

He led her gently into the bathroom and sat her down on the edge of the bath. He poked around in his bathroom cabinet for cotton wool and as he bustled about getting things ready Erin just sat there in silence her body shaking with emotion. He sat down beside her and took her arm and placed it on his lap, holding it with a gentle firmness that only he would be able to do.

"This is going to sting" he said pouring a strong smelling liquid onto a piece of cotton wool

He gently dabbed it on the wound and Erin flinched with pain. She could feel the liquid burn on her skin and the shock of the pain seemed to jolt her back into reality. As Leo looked back at her, he could see emotion in her eyes as she gasped trying to control the pain that was burning right through her. He continued his work in silence and after a while he was sure that he'd cleaned up the wound to his satisfaction so he re-dressed the wound and returned Erin's arm to her own lap

"Do you want to talk about it?" Leo said as they both made their way out of the bathroom

Erin turned and looked at Leo "Yes" she said trying to control the shaking of her body

He smiled gently at her and led her into the sitting room, they both sat down together and Erin leaned into Leo, at once feeling safe and secure with his arm around her shoulder

"When did you do that to your arm?" He asked

Erin paused before finally saying "This morning"

"Why?"

She wrinkled her nose "I don't know exactly…but it made me feel better after I'd done it"

"How did it make you feel?" he asked gently

"I don't know" she sighed "It just made thing a lot clearer and it felt like a whole weigh had been lifted from my shoulders"

Leo nodded understandingly "Erin" he said after a moment's silence "You realise that what you did isn't a good way of dealing with things"

She looked up at him and nodded "I know…things got too much"

"What sort of things?"

"Everything"

"Well it can't be everything" Leo said gently

"I was scared that when you went to the social worker meeting, that they wouldn't like you and they'd send me away somewhere horrible" she blurted out

"That wont happen" Leo said firmly "I wont let it"

Erin nodded slowly taking Leo's words onboard

"Would I also be correct in thinking that school would be another worry?"

She looked up at him clearly puzzled "How did you…?"

"Nikki told me" he said giving her shoulder a quick squeeze

"Oh…" Erin replied, Leo couldn't tell if she was annoyed or not

"She was worried about you"

"I know" Erin said a brief smile flashed across her face

"Well, you're seventeen and you don't legally have to be in education"

"I want to" Erin said firmly "Just not at that school"

Leo nodded "Well I'm sure it can be arranged that you can transfer to a different school"

"Really?" she said sounding unconvinced

"Really" Leo repeated

Erin sighed "I'm sorry" she said "I've been causing you so much trouble"

"Not at all" Leo smiled "Just promise me one thing"

"What's that?"

"That you will talk to me or Nikki or Harry when something's on your mind, or if you don't feel like talking right it down in a letter or do a drawing or something. Please don't suffer in silence anymore"

Erin nodded "I promise"

The two of them sat there late into the night, Erin had never felt safer before. Curled up in Leo's arms she felt safe and warm but most of all she felt loved. The pain she had felt when Leo had been cleaning up her wounds had driven away the numbness and her head and heart felt clearer than they had in days. She felt as if she were looking at the world through new eyes and her heart felt so light after talking with Leo. As she felt her eyes droop with the weight of fatigue she slipped off into a peaceful sleep, safe in the comfort of Leo's arms. A while later Leo looked down at the young girl in his arms, Erin was fast asleep and he couldn't help but notice the small smile that played across her lips as she slept peacefully. This was the first night that Erin had gone to sleep and not woken soon after screaming, drenched in sweat from her nightmares. Tonight she slept peacefully safe in the knowledge that nothing would hurt her as long as Leo was there for her.

**Author's note: Sorry a bit of a depressing chapter, the next one will be a bit more light hearted I promise. Also I must once again apologise for not updating reguallry, school has been hetic (more than usual) and during sports day there was a 'hitch'. During the 200m race (somehow I was roped into it) I managed to trip over and fall awkwardly on my arm. Unfortuantly I broke my arm, 2 fingers and thumb, so updates will be slow and short for the current time (sorry!) But I have a way to go with this story so please bear with me and thanks to those who have reviewied!**


	19. Female bonding

The next day Erin was up early as usual but the short amount of sleep she had had didn't affect her sunny disposition. Something about Erin had changed, the worries that had been burdening her had been lifted and now her face glowed with happiness and she looked so much more calm and relaxed than she had ever done before. Leo was still a little concerned about her and the events that had happened the previous evening and was keen to keep a close eye on her for the next couple of days

"I've got to work today" Leo said over breakfast

"On a Saturday?" Erin said tucking a piece of hair behind her ear

Leo nodded "No rest for the wicked I'm afraid, but Nikki has a day off today and she said she'd like to spend some time with you if that's ok"

Erin nodded slowly, taking in what Leo had just said "Ok"

"Good girl" Leo smiled "She'll be here in about an hour"

Erin smiled and the two of them continued with their breakfast, Erin was mulling over what Leo had told her, she sensed he was concerned about last night still and if he couldn't keep an eye on her then he'd have to get someone else to. But she didn't mind in the slightest, she'd grown close to Nikki recently and looked up to her as a confidante. The two females seemed to have an understanding between them and Nikki was the only woman that Erin had ever felt comfortable around

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Hey Nikki" Leo said opening the door to the young woman "Thanks for coming, I know it's your day off…"

Nikki cut him off with a shake of her head "It's no problem Leo, I'd love to spend time with Erin she's a lovely girl"

Leo nodded "There was a little hitch last night"

Nikki looked at him with concern on her face "What sort of hitch?"

"She'd ripped the stitches out of that cut on her arm. She was upset about something and I think it was her way of releasing anger"

Nikki looked shocked "Do you think she's a self-harmer?"

"I don't think so; I think it was just a one off thing. We talked things through and she seems much happier today. But I want to keep a close eye on her today"

"Hence why I am here" Nikki finished for him

Leo nodded "She trusts you Nikki; you're a good influence on her"

"So are you" Nikki said insistently

Leo shrugged "I'm going to have to tell Robert about what happened last night. I just hope this doesn't affect the fostering process"

"I'm sure it'll be fine. You talked things through with her and got it sorted, that shows you'll be a great foster parent"

"I hope so Nikki, I really hope so" he sighed

"When do you find out if you can foster her?" Nikki asked

"I'm not sure, there are other meetings and interviews to go through yet and a whole host of other things"

Nikki nodded "Well I'll keep her safe today Leo, you can be sure of that"

"I know" Leo said smiling "You and Harry are the most trustworthy people I know"

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Erin heard a knock at her bedroom door "Come in" she called

Nikki popped her head round the door and smiled "Hey"

"Hi" Erin greeted

Nikki took a step further into the room and took in the view. This was Leo's spare room that Erin was using, it was small but cosy and Erin had started to make it her own. She had a few possessions from her old house but Nikki had been shocked by how little of her own she actually possessed. Erin was curled up on her bed with her soft toy dog on her lap; she'd been absorbed in a book and now was marking her place as she turned towards Nikki

"What are you reading?" Nikki asked as Erin returned the book to a nearby shelf

"Charlotte's web" Erin said with a small smile "It's one of my favourites"

"Mine too" Nikki agreed "So are you ready?"

"Yeah" Erin said grabbing her jacket

Nikki looked at the girl and couldn't help but smile, Erin looked so different to the time when she'd first appeared in the lab. Back then she was a thin, bedraggled looking girl with a drawn face and lank hair but now she was almost a picture of perfect health. She'd lost some of the gauntness she'd previously had and she now had much more colour in her cheeks. Her hair was tied back but it had much more of a gleam to it. Dressed in an ordinary pair of jeans and a t-shirt she looked like any other teenager in London. Erin was beginning to have a normal life and Nikki was relieved that Leo had gotten things back on track with her last night

"I'll be off now" Leo said popping his head round the door "I'll be back around six" he directed this last comment at Nikki

Erin moved towards Leo and he gave her a quick hug and mouthed 'bye' at Nikki before he left the house

"So what do you want to do?" Nikki asked Erin

The young girl shrugged "I don't really know this area very well"

"Good" Nikki said smiling "I'd hoped you'd say that because I have a good idea of what to do"

Erin looked at Nikki with a bemused expression on her face as she followed Nikki out to her car

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Nikki pulled up outside a busy market area in a part of London Erin had never seen before. The market was colourful and full of people. The streets were lined with a couple of old looking shops but most of the space was taken up by market stalls selling various wares. In the middle of it all was a fountain with some benches round the edge. Although it was winter, the sky was blue and there was a warm sun peeking through the clouds, taking the bite off the air.

"I like to come here when I have my days off" Nikki said smiling

"It's nice" Erin said taking in the view as they got out of the car

Nikki smiled at Erin warmly and took her hand as they walked down the road into the market

A couple of hours later the two of them were sitting by the fountain having lunch. The day had warmed up bathing the area in a cheery glow. Erin was sitting cross-legged on one of the benches busily drawing in her sketch pad when Nikki came up behind her holding some sandwiches she'd bought from a local shop

"I didn't know what you'd like so I went for boring cheese and pickle" Nikki said sitting down beside her

"That's fine" Erin smiled scrabbling around in her bag for her purse

Nikki stopped her "My treat" she said

"But…"

"No buts about it!" Nikki grinned as she tucked into her own sandwich

The two of them sat in silence for a while until Nikki broke the stillness when she looked down at what Erin had been sketching

"That's brilliant" she gasped

On the page was a pencil drawing of the market and fountain sketched with minuscule detail. Erin had captured the essence of the place so realistically Nikki was amazed at the girl's talent. Harry had mentioned he'd seen some of her drawings but he'd clearly not found the words that could describe Erin's ability

"It's nothing" Erin said modestly

"It's better than I could do, my limit is stick figures and even then you have to squint to see what it is I'm trying to draw" Nikki said still looking down at Erin's drawing in awe

"Do you want to see the others?" Erin asked shyly and Nikki nodded

She passed her sketchpad over to Nikki who took it carefully and studied each of Erin's drawings in turn. They were all drawn in the same careful detail and each pencil sketch looked so realistic. There were a number of things Erin had sketched ranging from landscapes to sketches of literary characters. Nikki turned over the page and stopped suddenly, on this page there was a sketch of a man, she could tell hours had been put into this drawing. His face was moulded so carefully by the pencil lines and great care had been put into the fine characteristics

"That's my dad" Erin said smiling down at the sketch

"Really?" Nikki said taking in the picture

"Well no…not exactly. I've never seen a picture of him so I was trying to work out what he would have looked like. I guess it's a bit like Pip from Great expectations"

Nikki smiled "You like reading don't you?"

Erin nodded enthusiastically "And drawing. It's my release"

"This is amazing" she said pointing down at the sketch of Erin's dad

"Thanks" Erin said blushing slightly at the compliment "It's nice to have a reminder of him even if I never actually met him"

"Do you miss him?" Nikki said cocking her head on one side thoughtfully

"I don't know" Erin said wrinkling her nose in thought "I don't remember him so I can't say I miss him on a personal level because I don't know what he was like. But I do miss his presence if that makes any sense"

"Perfect sense" Nikki nodded and Erin smiled

"Do you want to know something?" she asked and Nikki nodded "You're the only person I've ever showed that sketch too"

Nikki felt her heart warm inside of her as Erin confided in her. She looked down at the young girl lovingly and pulled her into a gentle hug

"It's all going to be fine Erin, you know that don't you?"

Erin made a noise of agreement

"And you know that Leo Harry and myself will always be there for you no matter what"

"Yeah" Erin said quietly

Nikki released Erin from the hug and the girl smiled up at her "Now you just wait here for a moment and I'll be right back"

Erin looked puzzled for the second time that day but the look in Nikki's eyes had reassured her. So she turned back to her sketch pad with a small smile on her face as Nikki made her way across the market and into a small shop

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Nikki entered a small bookshop on the street corner still smiling at the way Erin had confided in her. She glanced around the bookshop scanning the shelves. She wanted to find Erin something really special so she would remember the day. Her eyes darted across the rows of books until she found exactly what she was looking for. In The corner of one of the shelves was a dusty, old looking volume, Nikki picked it up and smiled, she knew Erin was going to love it and she couldn't wait to see the look on the young girl's face

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

"I'm back" Nikki said slightly breathlessly as she sat down on the bench next to Erin, dropping a small carrier bag in the girl's lap

"What's this?" Erin said glancing at the bag and then at Nikki's beaming face

"Open and you'll find out" Nikki grinned

Erin opened the plastic bag and pulled out the contents. Nikki had bought Erin a small pile of book ranging from classic to modern. But one small dusty volume caught Erin's eye. She gently held it in her hands and flicked through the pages, it was a poetry anthology just waiting to be read.

Erin grinned "Nikki thank you so much!" she gushed

"Do you like it?"

"I love it" Erin said hugging Nikki "I have something for you" she said pulling away slightly

"What's that?" Nikki said looking at the young girl

Erin gave Nikki a small stack of papers. On closer inspection Nikki saw that these were a selection of Erin's sketches. There was the one of the market she'd seen Erin doing before, there were a couple of landscape one's and finally there was one of the lab

"Erin, they're beautiful" Nikki gasped

"Do you like them?" she said repeating Nikki's question

"I love them" Nikki laughed "I'm going to get them framed and have them on my wall to show everyone"

"Really?" Erin asked, smiling

"Really" Nikki answered

The two of them sat on the bench smiling happily at one another. The day had been an experience for both of them, which neither would ever forget. For Nikki it had been a chance to spend time with a girl she loved and adored. For Erin it was a chance to spend a day feeling completely happy and for once she would not have to feel scared about what the evening would bring. The two of them sat happily together, basking in the glow of the winter sun just content with each other's company.

**Author's note: Phew! Not bad for typing with one hand though it did take me the weekend to do. I also found out I'm going to be in a cast for 10 weeks which basically means my whole summer holidays are going to be spent with me in plaster, and to make matters worse I broke the arm that I write with. This is not a good thing at all :( **


	20. Sorting things out

Leo was examining a corpse in the cutting room that had just come in. He tried to keep his mind on his work but his thoughts kept moving back to Erin, he just couldn't help but worry about her. He knew she was safe with Nikki but he still was worried about her.

"She'll be fine you know" Leo looked up and saw Harry looking at him from the other side of the lab

"I know" Leo forced a smile

"It's just that you've been distracted…"

"Harry I'm fine" again came the forced smile

"…It's just that you've been fondling that liver for the last five minutes and I'm starting to get a little worried" Harry grinned and Leo turned bright red, muttering something to cover his embarrassment as he put the liver down on a nearby tray

One of the lab technicians poked his head around the door of the cutting room and called to Leo "Professor Dalton" he said "There's a Robert Davies on the phone for you, he's returning a call you made to him earlier"

"Thank you" Leo smiled at the technician and started to pull off his gloves

"Problem?" Harry said looking slightly concerned

"Possibly" Leo said "I had a slight incident with Erin last night…"

"…A slight incident?" Harry questioned waiting for Leo to elaborate

"She got a little upset and hurt herself" Leo sighed

Harry nodded "Leo, you know it's quite usual for people who have gone through traumatic experiences to have trouble dealing with things, that's what she's getting the counselling for"

"I know…" Leo sighed "I just don't know if everyone else will see it like that"

"What she needs right now is a place where she feels safe and loved. If anyone can provide that for her then it's you" Harry said firmly

Leo smiled at his younger colleague's praise "I think this might take a while and I know you're finishing soon…"

"…So you want me to pop round to Nikki's to see that Erin's ok" Harry finished for him

"If it's not too much trouble" Leo returned

Harry sighed dramatically "I suppose not" he said grinning as he left the room

* * *

"Hi Robert" Leo said picking up the telephone receiver in his office "Thanks for calling me back"

"_It's no problem"_ Robert's voice came back _"I understand that it's going to take some time to get Erin settled" _

"Last night…well I'm pretty sure it was just a hitch. Once I talked things through with her she seemed a lot calmer and last night was the first night she didn't have a nightmare"

"_It's good that you got things sorted, it shows your ability to cope with situations if and when they occur. Did she say why she was upset?" _

"She was worried that I wouldn't get custody of her and she was worried about school" Leo replied

"_Worrying about the fostering process is clearly justifiable, she probably feels lost and confused about not knowing what going to come out if it. As for the schooling, well she never mentioned anything before…."_

"I think she's been bullied. I'm looking into maybe transferring her to another school to give her a fresh start. She's only missed a couple of months of the term and she's a bright girl so I'm sure she'll catch up"

"_Once again you seem to have gotten this all sorted, I think you've got the right idea there. I'll pass on her worries to the counsellor she'll be seeing and they'll be able to talk them through with Erin. I doubt this will affect you fostering Erin, you've shown a remarkable ability to deal with her effectively. We'll probably have to keep a close eye on her mental health though. Obviously there's going to be some issues there after all the years of abuse but at least we can sort it before it spirals out of control"_

Leo sighed in relief and felt a weight lifted from his shoulders, Robert was going through a few more things with him now about Erin. But Leo felt a lot more confident that this was all going to get sorted out than he had in days.

* * *

Nikki and Erin were sitting in Nikki's living room curled up on the sofa when they heard a knock at the door

"I'll be right back" Nikki gave Erin a quick smile as she left the room, knowing the young girl didn't like to be left on her own

She walked to the front door and through the frosted glass panel saw an outline of a very familiar form "Harry?" she said as she opened the door

"Glad to see you haven't totally forgotten me then" Harry grinned as Nikki let him in the house out of the cold

"As much as it is nice to see you…" Nikki began

"You're wondering why there is a handsome man knocking at your door?"

"I would be if I could see one" Nikki giggled as Harry shot her a dirty look

"If it was anyone else then I would be insulted" he said breaking into a smile

"Seriously Harry…"

"Seriously Nikki" he grinned "Leo's been delayed at the lab for a little longer and he wondered if you wouldn't mind looking after Erin for a couple more hours"

Nikki nodded "That's fine and I'm guessing he sent you round here to check up on me?"

Harry nodded "And I've haven't had the chance to annoy you all day" he stressed the last part of his sentence and Nikki rolled her eyes

"Well you better come through then" she said leading the way into the sitting room where she resumed her place, curled up alongside Erin who relaxed immediately after she saw Nikki re enter the room

"Hey Erin" Harry said walking into the room "I hope you've been avoiding throwing yourself out of transport"

Erin frowned at him before breaking into a smile "I jumped" she said and Harry laughed, this was fast becoming their own little joke and he always knew it was a way to break the ice with Erin

"Leo's been delayed at the lab" Nikki said as she adjusted herself on the sofa "So you're going to be here until he picks you up, ok?"

"Oh…" Erin said slightly unsure at this revelation but Nikki flashed her a warm smile and she started to feel a bit more comforted

* * *

It was later in the evening and Nikki was getting slightly worried, Leo still hadn't rung and it was getting dark outside. It wasn't that she minded having Erin here; it was just that she knew Erin was still feeling unsettled and the best place for her to be was with Leo. She'd tried calling him a couple of times but all she got was his voicemail  
"She's asleep" Harry said pointing to the sofa in which Erin was curled up in a tight ball was a small smile on her face as she dreamt

"Don't wake her" Nikki said draping a blanket over the girl to keep her warm "Let's go into the kitchen"

Harry nodded and quietly followed Nikki into the kitchen which adjacent to the living room, they left the door open slightly so they could hear Erin but not so much that she would be disturbed by their conversation

"I hope Leo gets back soon" Nikki said glancing anxiously at that clock

"I think he was sorting something out with social services" Harry said as Nikki got a couple of wine glasses out of a cupboard

"Do you think everything's going alright with the fostering process?"

Harry nodded "If anyone is going to get custody of Erin then its Leo"

Nikki nodded biting her lip in concentration as she poured a glass of wine for them both

"Did you two have a nice time doing your female bonding today?" Harry said with a grin

"Yes actually" Nikki smiled at the memories of earlier that day

"Been identifying with her have you?"

"We had some good girly chats"

"So basically you spent the whole day boring Erin to tears talking about shoes and handbags"

Nikki glared at him "Just because your fashion sense is stuck in 1983" she teased

"1983?" Harry questioned

"I couldn't think of any other year" Nikki shrugged "And this was the year on the wine bottle" she held it up with a sheepish grin on her face

Harry snorted with laughter at the expression on Nikki's face, the two of them chatted for a while longer, the effect of the wine making the conversation cosy and comfortable between the pair

* * *

Erin blearily opened her eyes a while later. She shrugged off the blanket that had been draped over her and sat up stretching her muscles as she did so

"The beast stirs from her sleep" a voice said and she saw Harry leaning on the door frame grinning at her

"How long was I asleep for?" she said ignoring his comment

"About an hour" he said glancing at his watch

"And Leo?" she said starting to look worried

"He's not back yet but he will be soon, Nikki's just giving him a quick call now" Harry said sitting down beside Erin "You've been picking at that, look it's scared" he said pointing to a small silvery scar on her hand which she'd sustained from falling out of Jane's car

"The scab was itchy" she shrugged "It barely shows anyway"

"You make an awful patient" Harry chuckled

Erin smiled and looked down as she started to pick at the dressing on her arm

"Ah!" Harry said picking her hands up away from it "Leave it alone"

"I wasn't" Erin began

Harry laughed "I've heard it a thousand times before"

"And I've told you a thousand times before to stop exaggerating" Nikki directed her comment at Harry as she walked into the room

"Did you get through to him?" Harry asked poking a squirming Erin in the ribs to make her squeal with laughter

Nikki nodded "He's been sorting things out with social services" Erin sat bolt upright at this news "It's ok Erin" Nikki soothed the girl "He said it went fine, he also said he's got some news to tell you when he gets here"

"What's that?" Erin questioned

Nikki shook her head "I don't know, he wouldn't tell me over the phone, we're just going to have to wait until he gets here"

* * *

A couple of hours later the doorbell rang and Nikki let a tired looking Leo into the hallway

"Thanks again Nikki for keeping an eye on Erin"

"It's fine Leo" Nikki smiled "But there's someone here who would really love to see you"

Leo smiled as he followed Nikki into the living room. On the sofa was a sleepy looking Erin curled up against Harry who was looking just as tired

"Hey you" he said giving Erin a gentle nudge

She sat bolt upright, all traces of tiredness gone and hugged him, Nikki and Harry smiled at each other as they saw the compassion between the two

Leo released Erin from the hug "I have some news for you"

Erin started to fidget on the sofa "What?" she said looking anxious

"Well I've spent the last couple of hours with social services and we've finally sorted something out…."

**Author's note: The return of Harry! Because I know some of you missed him because he's not been in the last couple of chapters. But he's back and I will try and include him a bit more. Thanks to all who have sent me get well soon messages. My arm is still quite sore hence why this update took so long to do but it's done and I hope you all enjoy it.**


	21. The unexpected Freudian slip

Leo pushed an official looking envelope towards Erin which she received with asking hands. She carefully peeled open the envelope and pulled out the paper inside of it. Her face showed no emotion as she read over it and Harry and Nikki waited passing each other nervous glance whilst she read the contents of the letter. Finally she finished and looked up at the three adults standing in front of her

"Well?" Harry and Nikki said in unison "What does it say?"

Erin paused for a moment before breaking into a grin "They've approved the fostering"

"Erin!" Nikki gasped pulling the girl into a hug "I'm so happy for you both"

"I knew you'd get custody of her" Harry said patting Leo on the back

Leo turned to Erin who was now shaking with excitement "It's a new start for us Erin, and I promise you I will never let you be alone again"

Erin practically choked with emotion was unable to speak so just nodded but Leo knew she understood and he needed no words to understand how Erin was feeling right now. The grin on her face was enough for him to know that she was the happiest she had ever been. The rush of excitement and the events long day had clearly hit her body hard and she stifled a yawn beneath her hand

"It's late" Leo said looking at the clock "We should get going before this little one collapses with exhaustion"

"I'm not tired" Erin mumbled sleepily unable this time to stop the yawn from escaping

Leo chuckled softly "Thank you both for keeping an eye on her. It means a lot and I own you both"

"We know you do" Harry said with a grin, clearly plotting when he could use this to hid advantage in the future.

"Thank you Nikki" Erin said as she gathered her belongings

"No problem" she said as Leo led a sleepy looking Erin towards the door

Harry stayed behind with Nikki after Leo and Erin had left and the two of them continued chatting and drinking long into the night

* * *

"I'm not really tired" Erin protested and she and Leo drove home "I'm only a little bit sleepy"

"Of course you are" Leo smiled as he turned a corner "But it's late and you need to sleep"

"I don't, not really" Erin mumbled as her eyes drooped "But Leo…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for not giving up on me"

Leo was about to reply when he glanced across at the young girl and saw she had fallen asleep. Her head was resting against the car window and her hair had fallen over her face. He smiled to himself as he drove onwards to home, things were finally working out and he knew that Erin to him had now become the most precious thing in the world. His mind went back to the grey and dreary morning when he had found Erin cold and wet, curled up in the tightest of balls. He'd made a promise to himself when he found her that he would keep her safe and never let her feel so awful as she had the morning. As he looked across at the young girl, he realised he hadn't felt so protective over anyone since Teresa and Cassie. But now he had a new member to his family and it was a new start not only for Erin but for him as well.

* * *

Erin blearily opened her eyes the next morning and embraced the warmth of her duvet, content in the warm, dark environment she pulled the duvet over her head and snuggled down deeper into it. She closed her eyes and replayed the events of last night some more, feeling the same warm glow float through her again and again

"Erin?" She heard a voice calling her but it was muffled from the blankets she had over her head "Erin, you'll suffocate down there"

She dragged herself out from her little burrow and winced as the cold air hit her face, she spluttered and tried to catch her breath as she glanced to where the voice was coming from. She saw Leo leaning against the doorway shaking his head at her

"Weren't you hot in there?" he asked noting her red face

She shrugged pulling the duvet tighter around her "I like it down there, it helps me think"

"I'm going into work today, will you be ok here on your own?" he said, it was Sunday and still the weekend. He trusted Erin to be on her own but he knew that the young girl wasn't keen on being alone for long periods of time

"Yeah" she nodded but he could see the apprehension in her eyes

"I'll call you during the day to see how you're getting on. You know where everything is, so just sort yourself out as and when you feel like it. It is your home now after all" he smiled

"I'll be fine" she said sounding more self-assured

"I know you will" Leo gave her a quick hug and a kiss on top of her head and he was off downstairs and out the door, making his way towards work.

Erin laid there for a little while before deciding to brave the cold and get herself up and out of bed. She padded around her own little room trying to find some clothes to wear before eventually settling on jeans and a striped purple and white long sleeved top.

After a quick shower she retuned to her room trying to stop her dripping hair from making puddles on the carpet. She pulled a comb through the knotted mass and tried to make herself look a little presentable. Erin caught sight of herself in the mirror and smiled, she looked so different and the change had been rapid. No longer was she the bruised and beaten girl of before but now she was a happy and safe teenager. She caught sight of the dressing on her arm and quickly pulled down the sleeve of her top over it. She could move on from that, she knew she was a strong person and she had to keep moving forward. She couldn't look back to the past anymore, it was done and now she had to keep looking forwards to the bright, safe future she had only ever dreamed about

* * *

"Have you noticed a change in Leo?" Nikki said to Harry as the worked on a corpse in the cutting room

Harry nodded "He seems…." He paused looking for the right word

"…Younger" Nikki finished for him and Harry looked at her

"You've started to finish my sentences. That's very couple-y"

"Is that even a word?" Nikki laughed "And anyway would that be a bad thing?" she flushed bright red as soon as the words were out of her mouth

"Was that a Freudian slip Doctor Alexander?" Harry teased

"And what if it was?" Nikki said realising there was no going back now

"I would say we would have to discuss you psyche further over some drinks tonight" Harry said not looking up at her, his gaze fixed on the corpse

"Are you talking to me or Mr Bone jangles here?" Nikki asked and Harry laughed

"Many would argue there is no difference" Nikki shot him a dirty look "But since I seem to be running the risk of feeling the fury of a woman's scorn., I would argue otherwise and in answer to your previous question which I seem to have divulged from in a magnificent style….I'm asking you" he said all in one breath

"Then considering the idea that my psyche might be at considerable risk if I did not otherwise accept I think I will have to say yes" she smiled

"Good" he nodded "Clearly we are going to have a lot to…discuss. You're mind works in mysterious ways Nikki, ways they have not even put a scientific name to yet"

Nikki flicked a rubber glove at Harry which he dodged just in time. The two of them continued their work laughing ands joking with one another but both feeling the little tingle of excitement when the word 'couple' had been mentioned

* * *

Leo sat in his office and punched the familiar digits of a number into his phone. It rang twice before it was picked up

"_Hello?"_ came the voice

"It's Leo" he replied relieved the Erin was still sounding happy "Are you alright?"

"_A bit sleepy"_ she said honestly and Leo could hear the drowsiness in her voice

"I told you that yesterday night" Leo teased

"_I wasn't tired then"_ Erin protested

"But you are now" Leo said laughing which stopped as he heard Erin start to violently cough "Erin?"

"_I'm fine"_ she said catching her breath

Leo sighed "I'm making a doctor's appointment when we get home. You've had that cough far too long and it's getting worse"

"_Only a couple of days"_

"Remind me again which of us has the medical degree"

"_Fine"_ Erin said resignedly "But you're overeating"

"That may be but I want to be sure. Go and get yourself back into bed and I'll check on you when I get back"

"_Ok…bye" _she said and both of them hung up the phone

Leo looked up as he replaced the phone in its cradle just in time to see Harry walk in the door holding a brown folder

"The report you wanted" he said passing over the folder

"Thank you Harry" Leo nodded scribbling a note down on a piece of paper

"Everything alright?" Harry said as he caught sight of the phrase 'Doctor's appointment'

"Erin's got a persistent cough" Leo said flicking through the folder "Probably nothing but since she's recently had severe hypothermia I want to be sure"

Harry smiled "Getting into the family role already I see"

Leo retuned the smile "It's only a precaution but since you ask me and Erin are getting on fine"

"Leo…about the favour you promised me and Nikki"

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to bring that up. I was expecting a couple of days from now but less than twenty four hours? That's got to be a new record"

"I know I am rather incredible like that" Harry grinned arrogantly

"Really, I can't see it" Leo frowned

"That's not what you said last night" Harry quipped

"I should hope not, Erin was only sleeping next door"

Harry laughed "Ok, you win. Look Nikki and I were wondering if we could knock of a couple of hours early tonight. We're going for a drink; Nikki's psyche depends on it"

Leo frowned and looked at him quizzically "I'm not even going to ask" he laughed "But yes, since you asked so nicely that's fine. But since it's a 'school night', if you come in with a hang over you will be on paperwork duty for the rest of the week"

"It has been noted" Harry nodded "I'll do my best to keep Nikki under control"

"It's you I'm worried about" Leo smirked "Now get out of here before I change my mind"

Harry laughed and bounded out the room to tell Nikki the good news. Leo shook his head and sat back in his chair. His eyes scanned over the photo frames on his desk, he had photo's of Teresa and Cassie and one of Harry, Nikki and himself, but the latest one caught his eye. In a small frame in front of the others was a picture of Erin, apparently it was the most recent school one which Erin had let him have, apparently being to embarrassed to keep it herself. It had been one of the weeks where the beatings hadn't been too bad from her mother and Erin had put make up on to hide the bruises. The result was a very flattering picture of the young girl which Leo was very proud of. She had a dimple in her cheek when she smiled and her face shone with innocence. Although he knew he would never be able to understand everything that had gone on with Erin and her mother, he knew she was safe and he was determined to keep it that way.

**Author's note: Sorry for the delay in updates. I will try and update more since it is the summer holidays, my arm isn't so sore anymore so I'm taking that as a good sign *touches wood***


	22. The morning after the night before

"Harry you are going to get me drunk" Nikki giggled as Harry placed another cocktail down in front of her

The two of the had been steadily drinking in the bar for about an hour and the alcohol was starting to take effect

"Think of it as a scientific experiment on the effect of alcohol on two top notch pathologists"

"Where are they then?" Nikki said taking a swig of her cocktail

"You do realise you just insulted yourself?" Harry said raising an eyebrow

Nikki paused for a moment "Yes" she nodded "But I also insulted you so it balances it out"

Harry shook his head and sighed dramatically "That is the reason we are here. That was a prime example of how messed up your psyche is"

"Speak for yourself" Nikki giggled taking another drink out of her glass

"Nikki you are a very immature person" Harry sighed loudly with a grin on his face betraying his words

"And you love it" Nikki said and Harry spluttered on his drink spraying Nikki with a mouthful of beer

"Thanks Harry" she said wiping her top "As much as I love having a mixture of your salivary amylase and beer sprayed over me…"

"Sorry" Harry said catching his breath

"You're forgiven" Nikki wiping the liquid off herself

"You missed a spot" Harry said frowning at her

"Where?" she said glancing around

"Right…" Harry leaned closer towards Nikki "…There" he planted a kiss on her lips and Nikki nearly fell off the bar stool in shock.

Feeling his warm lips against her she soon fell into the kiss with him and the two of them eventually broke apart for air

"Wow…" Nikki said gasping for air

"Yeah…" Harry nodded

"We're going to regret this in the morning" Nikki said unable to keep her eyes off Harry

"Yeah but I'm too drunk to care right now" he laughed "Mine or yours?"

"I don't care" Nikki said grabbing her coat and stumbling off her bar stool "If you continue kissing me like that, I don't care if we end up in a bin"

Harry snorted with laughter "I think that's a compliment"

"Come on" Nikki said dragging him out of the bar "I think the alcohol is starting to wear out and it just so happens I have the perfect cure to that at home"

Harry raised hid eyebrows at her but followed after her trying to keep his balance as the alcohol took over him

* * *

Nikki awoke the next morning and groaned, her head was pounding and she could taste the remains of last nights drinking session in her mouth. She rolled over in her bed and immediately hit her head on the someone next to her

"You know there are nicer ways to wake someone up" Nikki looked up and saw Harry looking down at her with a confused look on his face

"Did we…?" Nikki asked

"I think so" Harry said slowly "His bad is your hangover"

"This one is a new world record" Nikki said wincing as she spoke

"Aspirin?" Harry said pulling a face

"In the cupboard in my kitchen" Nikki said flopping back down on the bed

"I'll get then shall I?" Harry said pulling himself out of bed

"You got me drunk, you can make it better"

"I thought I did that last night and anyway if your mind was so utterly complicated we wouldn't have had to got drunk in the first place"

"Harry" Nikki shouted making her head wince "Aspirin…Now!"

Harry winced at Nikki's but slunk out of the bedroom looking for the painkillers. Nikki pulled the covers back over her head and groaned, she couldn't believe her and Harry had gotten so drunk last night and she couldn't believe they had actually ended up together. She tried to remember the events of the previous night but it all seemed to be a drunken blur.

"There you go Madam" she head Harry's voice and she resurfaced from under the duvet

He handed her a glass of fizzing water "Thanks" she said as she accepted the glass and downed the contents in one

Harry grinned at her "That bad?"

"Shut up" she moaned "You look as bad as I feel"

"Thanks Nikki, you weren't that charming last night" he teased

"Oh like you were the perfect gentleman, getting me drunk like that" she laughed

"Do you regret it?" Harry said after a moment's silence

"I don't think I'm sober enough to give you a rational answer yet" Nikki groaned

"But right now…"

"Right now I don't, and you?" Nikki said propping herself up on one elbow, watching him closely

"Nope" Harry shook his head and winced "Though I do regret the hangover"

"Yeah…" she agreed "And we have to work today. Leo's going to kill us for being hung-over"

"Maybe we can sneak in" Harry said as Nikki's phone beeped

She leaned over Harry, ignoring the tingle she felt as their two bodies pressed together. She pressed a couple of buttons and frowned as she turned to Harry

"Leo's going to be late in" she read "He's taking Erin to the doctors"

Harry nodded "He said she wasn't feeling well yesterday, probably nothing but you know what Leo's like"

"Yeah" Nikki agreed "Still…"

"…It means we don't have to be in so early" Harry finished

"Now who's finishing my sentences" Nikki teased

"We are very couple-y aren't we?" and Nikki nodded

"Well we've passed the boundaries of friendship; last night was clear evidence of that"

"What do we do now?" Harry asked and Nikki sat up

"We shower, we go to work and we try and sort this out"

Harry nodded "It felt right though…."

"I know" Nikki tucked her hair behind her ears "But I don't want to ruin it"

"So stay here" Harry said pulling her back down into the duvet

"Harry…" Nikki protested

Harry leaned over and pressed his lips against her and Nikki gasped "Does it feel right?"

"Yes" she said hardly daring to breath

"Then don't fight how you feel"

Nikki snorted with laughter "Gosh, you are so cheesy"

"Shut up" Harry said poking her in her stomach to make her laugh "I'm trying to be romantic now"

"Oh are you" Nikki smirked "I do apologise"

"Will you be quiet or do I have to shut you up?"

"You'll have to shut me up" Nikki grinned

"Right" Harry said "You asked for it"

He stood up and picked a squealing Nikki off the bed and carried her in his arms to the bathroom

**Author's note: A shorter chapter there, but a bit of Harry and Nikki fluff, because I've been asked for it and I hoped this is what you were expecting. I'll get back to Erin and Leo in the next chapter but I know some of you were eager to see what happened Harry and Nikki that it gave it a chapter all of it's own. I hope I kept everyone in character but if not just say :)**


	23. The secret is out

"Erin Jones?" a nurse called "The doctor will see you now"

Leo pulled up a moody looking Erin who reluctantly followed the nurse into the doctor's office. She'd been grumpy all morning and Leo wasn't sure if it was from the fact she was feeling ill or that she just didn't like doctors

"Hello Erin" the doctor said greeting her with a smile on his face "I haven't seen you for a long time"

"Hello" Erin said looking down at the floor

"Take a seat up there for me Erin" he said pointing to the bed "And you must be Leo, her guardian" he said shaking hands with the pathologist "Now Erin, Leo tells me you've not been feeling well. Is that right?"

Erin shrugged and kept gaze at her feet "I don't know"

"Ah, I remember now" the doctor smiled suddenly "You were never keen on doctors were you"

"Do you blame me?" she muttered moodily

"No I suppose not. After all I'm the man who sticks needles in painful places and pokes and prods people…"

"Exactly" Erin grumbled

"…But how about we have a truce. I was quite worried when I heard you were in hospital with hypothermia. So how about you let me examine you and we'll put my mind at ease. I'm very fond of you Erin and I don't like to see you ill. So how about you let an old codger like me have his way just this once"

"Fine" Erin sighed resignedly

"Good girl" the doctor gave her an encouraging smile

* * *

Half an hour later they were back in Leo's car driving towards his house

"That wasn't so bad was it?" Leo gave a quick glance at the girl

"Yes" Erin said sulkily

"At least we known you're ok" he said

"I don't feel ok" she sniffed

"I know but the doctor said your chest infection will clear up in a week and those antibiotics will make you feel better"

Erin was about to reply when Leo's mobile rang interrupting her

"Can you get that please?" He said and she nodded

"Professor Dalton's phone, how may I be of assistance" she said and Leo chuckled

"Very professional" and Erin gave a small smile, the first smile he had seen all morning from her

"Erm…no he's driving at the moment. Can I take a message? Yeah…that's fine, ok bye"

She pressed a button to end the call and twisted in her sear to look at Leo "That was Janet"

"I see" Leo said keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the road

"Who's Janet?" Erin said watching Leo blush slightly

"A work colleague"

"Ah" Erin nodded "It's like that is it?"

"You've perked up a bit" Leo said shaking his head at Erin's questions

"So have you" she smirked

"Subject is closed" Leo said shooting the young girl a look that meant she should push the subject no further "I'll drop you off home, I want you to go to bed. No arguments and I'll be back around seven ok?"

"Ok" Erin said watching Leo closely

"And then we need to sort out your schooling"

"Ok"

"And then…."

"Ok" she repeated for a third time

"Erin!" Leo sighed loudly "She's a work colleague that is all and there is nothing more too it"

Erin gave him a lop-sided grin and Leo couldn't help but smile at her. She was always able to keep in his good books and already she seemed to have him wrapped round her little finger

* * *

A couple of hours later the three pathologists were working in the lab. Leo lad noticed that Nikki and Harry were a lot more flirty and giggly than usual and had decided that their drinks must have gone well last night

"Is Erin alright?" Nikki said as herself and Leo looked over some toxicology reports

"She's got a bit of a chest infection. She'll be fine in about a week"

"Good…good" Nikki said sounding distracted

Leo followed her eye line and saw that she was staring at Harry's backside "Nikki?" he said finally

"Yes Leo?" she turned back to him with an innocent look in her face

"Nicola Alexander don't you give me that 'butter wouldn't melt' look. I know what you and Harry were up to last night and I am fully aware both of you are exremly hung over this morning"

"Sorry Leo" Nikki said bashfully "He started it though, he bought the first round"

"I don't care whose fault it is, you're both on paperwork duty for the rest of the week" Leo said firmly "Even Erin's more mature than you"

"I'll tell her you said that" Nikki grinned

"You are in enough trouble as it is young lady!" Leo mock scolded Nikki

"What's she done this time?" Harry said as he walked over to the pair

"It's your fault!" Nikki said looking at Harry with an exasperated look on her face "You got me drunk"

"You weren't complaining this morning…" Harry said without think

Nikki sighed and slapped a hand against her forehead "Harry you have the world's biggest mouth"

"So do I take it you two…?" Leo gestured and Nikki nodded "Well I don't know what to say except…"

"Then don't say anything" Harry said hoping that what ever he and Nikki had wasn't over before it had even started

"I'm glad you two finally got your act together"

"What?" Nikki and Harry said in unison

"Well" Leo said "I've had to put up with the sexual tension between you two for years; it's about time you sorted it out"

"Thanks…" Harry said not knowing whether it was a compliment or an insult

"So you're really not cross?"

"Well not about you and Harry finally getting your act together no, but you both coming in with a hangover well…"

Nikki put on her best 'puppy eyes' face and looked at him "Leo…."

"I'm resistant to that face Nikki" Leo rolled his eyes,

Harry felt a tingle when he looked into Nikki's eyes, he was clearly not resistant to that face and Nikki clearly knew it and would use it to her advantage no doubt

Leo's phone rang cutting the conversation short; he picked it up and held it to his ear

"Janet, Hi" he said and Nikki and Harry passed each other a knowing look

"_Hi Leo, is this a better time?"_

"Yeah it's fine, sorry about earlier I was driving"

"_It's no problem; I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet up for a drink sometime. To catch up for old time's sake"_

"That would be lovely but…"

"Leo" Nikki hissed in his ear "We can sort Erin out"

"Are you sure?" Leo asked and Nikki nodded "I won't be interrupting anything between you two?"

Nikki shook her head "You go and have fun"

"Thank you" Leo said gratefully and turned back to his phone conversation "Hi Janet? That sounds great, when are you free?"

"_Tonight… I know it's sudden but I was in the area"_

"Tonight sounds great" Leo smiled at Nikki and Harry and moved away into his office to talk further to Janet in private

"He hasn't told Erin about Janet has he?" Harry asked Nikki

"Nope" she said keeping her eyes on Leo

* * *

Erin sat curled up on her bed at home glancing at the clock watching the hands pass the seven. Leo wasn't back yet and she was starting to get anxious. She stood up suddenly and hit her head on a shelf knocking several books off in the process. Tears from the pain starting welling up in her eyes and she sniffed loudly

"It's ok Erin" she said using the mantra Leo always had on hand to calm her down "You're safe I promise you. Nothing can hurt you here, and you're safe I promise you that"

After a while of repeating it she started to calm down. She picked the books off the floor and rearranged them back onto the shelf. Just then the doorbell rang making Erin jump, with a shaking body she crept downstairs worrying already who it was but she was relived when she saw Nikki's outline against the frosted glass

"Hi" Nikki greeted the young girl as she opened the door

"Leo's going to be late isnt he" Erin said already able to read Nikki very well "And Harry I know you're there"

Harry moved into her line of sight and Erin could see he was embarrassed at being found out "Nothing gets past you does it?"

"Leo is going to be a couple of hours late tonight…he's…he's…"

"…With Janet" Erin said bluntly

Nikki looked taken a back "You know?"

"A woman called Janet phoned Leo this morning when we were in the car and judging from his reaction I gathered their relationship was more personal than professional"

"Have you ever considered a career in psychology?" Harry said amazed at how the girl had pieced everything together so quickly

"Anyway" Nikki said turning back to the conversation "He asked me to phone you but I wanted to come round in person, we said we'd look after you for the evening"

"'we' being the operative word since you two clearly are doing a 'Janet and a Leo'"

"How does she do that?" Harry said looking at Nikki who had the same expression of shock on her face

"I loved on the streets for months, you get good at reading people" Erin sighed

"Sorry Erin" Nikki murmured annoyed at herself for brining parts of Erin's past up

"It's fine. You two go and do whatever it is that you do. I'll be fine here" Erin pushed a false smile into her face

"Erin I'm not so sure…" Nikki said sounding apprehensive

"I'm seventeen, I can take care of myself and anyway I can't keep jumping at my own shadow forever"

"But…"

"I'll be fine; I'm still not feeling great so I doubt I'll be good company. I'll probably get an early night or something"

"Are you sure?" Nikki said looking doubtful and Erin nodded "Alright" she said finally "Call me if there's anything you need no matter how small. Oh and these are for you, Leo picked up your prescription earlier" she said passing the girl a white paper bag

"Thanks" Erin said peeking inside

"One tablet every four hours" Nikki said "There's instructions on the box anyway" and Erin nodded "And remember, if you need anything, even if it's just to chat, call me"

"I'll be fine" Erin said starting to shiver in the cool night air

"Alright we'll be off now" Nikki said smiling "You go back inside and keep yourself warm"

"Sleep well" Harry said to Erin who nodded

As the young girl closed the door Harry and Nikki made their way back to the car and into the welcoming warmth

"She'll be fine" Harry said already knowing what Nikki was going to ask him

"I know…it's just…"

"Nikki" Harry sighed "You have to let her do things for herself. She's a lot more independent than you think"

"I know" Nikki finally agreed

"We'll both have our phones on and she'll ring if she needs anything and we can phone her on the hour every hour if you're that worried"

"Ok" Nikki said sounding a lot more convinced and happy

"Now where do you want to go?"

"You're place" Nikki said quickly "I need to test out the bed to see if it's suitable"

Harry snorted with laughter "That's very forward doctor Alexander"

"Well I'm a modern woman, Doctor Cunningham"

Harry grinned at her as he started the car and stared the drive to his flat. The two of them felt so relaxed in each other's company and above all things felt right between them

* * *

Back in the house Erin sat on the end of her bed and hugged her knees close to her chest. She was all alone again, a single tear fell down her cheek, she batted it away but the flood gates were now fully open and the sobs racked her body as she began cry openly.

**Author's note: Sorry to end on a depressing note there! The good thing about the summer holidays is I have time to type up thes****e chapters as my one handed typing isnt exactly fast. I will try and update tomorrow but I have to go to the doctors because my dog jumped up at me and knocked me to the ground. I feel a bit battered and bruised and my arm hurts like mad. So I'm hoping things will be ok but updates might be slower from now on. **


	24. The dating game

**Author's note 1: This chapter contains a little tiny sexual reference, barely noticeable but you know what Harry and Nikki are like :) Just thought I'd warn you innocent minded people!**

Leo and Janet were sitting in an upmarket restaurant catching up with each other. Leo could see Janet wanted to ask him something but clearly didn't have the courage to do so

"Janet, are you ok?" Leo said after a short silence

"Leo…" she began before pausing to try and find the right words "I don't want to be keeping you from someone else, there's clearly someone else in your life and I don't want to step on anyone's toes"

He frowned trying to work out what Janet meant and eventually he broke into a smile when it clicked

"What?" Janet said unable to understand Leo's reaction

"You think there's another woman in my life?" Janet nodded

"The one I spoke to on the phone…"

Leo cut her off "Well then yes technically there is another woman in my life but she's only seventeen…"

Janet looked confused "I don't understand"

"The person you spoke to on the phone was my foster daughter" Leo explained

"Your foster daughter! when did that happen?"

"A couple of months after we worked on that case" Leo smiled at the memory

"Ok you're going to have to start from the beginning because I am really confused" Janet said shaking her head slightly as she tried to comprehend what Leo was telling her.

Leo began to explain how he had found a young girl in the car park of the lab; he'd taken her in and tried to get her warm. He told her of how she had hypothermia and had to go to hospital and that's when they found out she was a runaway. He decided not to tell Janet about the abuse or rape, he knew there was a trust between him and Erin on that front and he knew she didn't like having her private life invaded

"So after her mother died she was taken into care of social services but she managed to make her way back to us and that's where we are now" Leo finished

"This Erin then…" Janet said, Leo paused waiting for Janet's reaction "What's she like?" she smiled as Leo launched into a detailed description of her personality

"She's quite shy but a chatterbox when you get to know her. She's a talented artist and loves reading" Leo said and Janet couldn't help but notice how his eyes sparkled when he talked about the young girl

"She sounds lovely"

"I'd love you to meet her" Leo said looking for Janet's reaction

"Really?" Janet asked

"Really" Leo confirmed "I'm serious Janet, you're a very attractive woman…."

"…Thank you Leo" Janet laughed

"And I'd like you to meet the other woman in my life" he grinned

"It sounds wonderful" Janet said leaning over the table and giving Leo a peck on the cheek

The older man blushed slightly at the display of affection but still managed to kiss her back, both broke apart smiling at each other as they held one another's gaze

* * *

"Harry" Nikki said flopping back onto the bed "You are amazing"

"You weren't bad yourself" he said moving next to her looking a little out of breath

"You need a new bed though" Nikki said shifting her position slightly "I've got a spring in my back"

"You could always lie on top of me if it's that uncomfortable" Harry grinned and Nikki hit him on the arm

"I might take you up on that offer" she grinned running hand through his dark hair

"I love you Nikki" he breathed

Nikki froze at the revelation "Really?" she said propping herself up on her elbow so she could look at him

"Yes" Harry nodded stroking her cheek with his finger

"Oh good…" Nikki said lying back down, Harry frowned

"Harry?" Nikki said after a short silence

"What?" He turned to look at her

"I love you too" she said smiling up at him

"Oh good…" he mimicked making Nikki squeal with laughter "Nikki?"

"What?" she said curling up in his arms

"Does this mean we're a proper couple now? I mean we've slept together and confessed our love for each other"

"I think so…" Nikki frowned deep in thought "I hope so…"

"Me too" he said placing a kiss upon her lips "We should do couple-y things like…."

"Have romantic meals?" Nikki suggested

"Get drunk and not regret it in the morning?" Harry said with a cheeky grin

"Walks in the park?"

"Move in together…" Harry said and nikki looked at him with her mouth hanging open

"We've only just got together" she squeaked

"We've known each other years and we've been an unofficial couple for at least the last couple of years"

"Oh have we?" Nikki said rasidsng an eyebrow with a smile on her face

"You know we have" Harry sighed dramatically "And there is a credit crunch on so it makes ecomnical snese for people to house sharre"

"I see, so we're not really rushing our relationship because we are madly in love with one another we're just being economically viable" Nikki said trying to look serious

"Exactly" Harry said tapping her on the nose affectinatly

"You can move my stuff in on Monday then" she said snuggling up against Harry

Harry grinned at Nikki and ran his hand through her hair "I really love you" he whispered but Nikki was already asleep

* * *

Erin's tears soon stopped flowing and she gasped trying to catch her breath, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and saw the dirty tear tracks left on her face from her crying session. She felt exhausted but she sensed a load had been lifted from her shoulders.

She got herself up off her bed, her legs slightly wobbly from being tightly curled up underneath her. She stumbled downstairs and into the living room, she was determined to show everyone that she was a strong, capable girl who could look after herself. She picked up the pile of school prospectuses she and Leo had been sorting through and she was determined to show Leo just how capable and mature she was. Erin wiped away the last of her tears, sniffed and then started studying the prospectuses.

* * *

Leo stopped his car outside Janet's house and turned towards the woman sitting next to him

"I'd invite you in but I think you have someone to be getting home to" Janet smiled and Leo nodded

"Sorry" he apologised

"What are you sorry for?" she said tilting her head on one side "She brought about a change in you Leo, one for the better"

Leo smiled "She certainly is something special"

Janet nodded "Now go home and tell her that" Janet said giving Leo a peck on the cheek as she got out of hid car

"I'll call you" he called after her

"I know you will Professor Dalton or there will be trouble" Janet grinned as she turned towards her house

Leo smiled to himself as he watched Janet go into her house, he drove down the quiet roads felling very pleased with himself. He decided to be open and honest about Janet to Erin, if she hadn't guessed already. That girl was defiantly something special there was no doubt about that, Leo just had to show it to the world.

**Authors note: Apology time!**

**1) Sorry for this being a shorter chapter**

**2) Sorry for not updating yesterday **

**I went to the doctor about the dog knocking me over, he was worried because I fell on my broken arm and it was still hurting. So he sent me to the hospital where I spent most of yesterday being prodded and poked. Basically I've bruised my broken arm and broken it in another place (givig me the grand total of 4 places) I am not a happy bunny :'(**


	25. The Pride and Prejudice analogy

When Leo returned to his house that evening he found Erin still awake, pouring over prospectuses in the living room

"Hey" she greeted him with a smile as he leant down and kissed her gently on the to of her head

"Where are Nikki and Harry?" Leo said glancing around the room

"They came round to tell me that you were going out and they offered to keep me company but I wasn't feeling very well and so I told them that I'd be ok on my own and that I wouldn't be good company"

"And were you ok on your own?" Leo said noticing the remains of the tear tracks on Erin's face

"Yes" she nodded "I looked through these" she gathered up the prospectuses as Leo took of his coat and sat down next to her

"And have you decided?" He said as Erin curled up next to him

"I like the look of this one" she said handing it to him

"That's not too far from here, probably a twenty minute walk; it's got a good reputation too. Well if you're sure…"

"…I am" she said cutting him off

"I'll phone them up and see about getting you a place there"

"Thank you" she smiled

"It's very mature of you choosing by yourself" Leo praised and Erin beamed

"And how was your evening?" she said looking up at Leo

"It was very nice…"

"Is Janet your girlfriend?" Erin asked bluntly

"Erin!" Leo said poking her in the stomach to make her squeal, eventually when Erin had calmed down he gave her an answer "No she's not, she's my…she's an acquaintance who happens to be female"

"Do you want her to be your girlfriend?"

Leo sighed "Erin you ask far too many questions, look it's late and I've got work tomorrow and you're coming with me. I don't want to eave you here on your own again"

"You didn't answer my question" Erin whined

"It's late" Leo said standing up as he uncurled himself from Erin

"But…."

"Bed now!" he said with a smile on his face as Erin skipped out of the room

"That girl is a law unto herself" he said under his breath as he started to lock the house up for the night

* * *

The next morning Leo and Erin arrived early at the lab which was deserted, Erin had been probing Leo with more questions but to no avail. He chose to keep changing the subject and get her interested in other things. An hour later Nikki and Harry stumbled into the lab giggling as they taunted and flirted with each other

"You're late" Leo said coming out of his office

"Traffic…" Harry said quite clearly lying "…Couldn't get out of the duvet….I mean the slip road" he flushed at his slip

Nikki giggled "And your excuse would be?" Leo said turning on her with a grin on his face

"I…was helping Harry out of his duvet" she said and then laughed as she realised how that sounded

"To work, both of you!" Leo said pointing them in the direction of their desk just as his phone rang "Dalton?" he said picking it up "Yes…Yes that's fine, I'll be there as soon as I can" he scribbled a note down on a scrap of paper and turned to Erin "I've got a case, I'll be as quick as I can, will you be alright here?"

"Yeah" Erin said watching him make his way out of the lab

"Keep an eye on Nikki and Harry for me" he said winking at Erin as she stifled a laugh

* * *

Leo had been gone about half an hour when Erin wandered over to Nikki's desk in search of some company

"Nikki" Erin said perching on the corner of the woman's desk

"Yes?" Nikki said looking up from the report she was just finishing

"Is Janet, Leo's girlfriend?" Erin asked innocently and Nikki laughed

"Why don't you ask him that?"

"I did and he said that she's just his female acquaintance"

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Harry said as he walked past Nikki's desk over hearing the last part of their conversation

Nikki smiled and turned back to Erin and couldn't help but laugh when she saw the look of utter bewilderment on the young girl's face

"I don't understand…" Erin said looking from Nikki to Harry and back again

"Erin" Nikki said pulling up a stool for Erin to sit on "Adult relationships are very complex…"

"Ooh are you going to give her 'the talk'?" Harry grinned as he called from across the room

"Shut up!" Nikki said throwing a scrunched up bit of paper at him "Right Erin where were we?"

"You were telling me how weird adults are"

Nikki laughed "Yes. Well…it's hard to explain…"

Erin started to fiddle with the book she had in her hands and Nikki suddenly noticed the title. She gently took it out of Erin hands and smiled as she thought of a way to explain things

"It's like in Pride and Prejudice" she said motioning to the book "There are lots of complex relationships and not all of them are the same…"

"So Janet and Leo…"

"…Are like Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet. They're both quite shy about their feelings for each other but they match up pretty well"

"And you and Harry?" Erin questioned and Nikki spluttered

"Sorry?"

"I think you and Harry are like Darcy and Elizabeth. Sometimes you argue and tease one another but you both balance out one another. They've overcome a lot to be together even if people try to come between them"

"Erin…" Nikki gasped "That is sweet" she gave the young girl a hug and glanced across at Harry who she could see had reddened at Erin's depiction of their relationship

"I think I understand now…what you're trying to say is that their are different types of love and relationships"

"Exactly" Nikki beamed at the young girl

"What's Janet like then?"

"Well…" Nikki began "I don't know her that well, but she's very smart and she's kind and caring"

"Leo likes her a lot doesn't he?"

"Yes he does Erin but that doesn't mean he's going to stop caring about you" Nikki said sensing the underlying issue

"I don't…"

"Erin there are different types of love like you said. Leo loves you and I think he loves Janet but not in the same way. He loves you like a father loves his daughter and he loves Janet because he finds her pretty"

"So Leo doesn't think I'm pretty?" Erin said looking even more confused than before

"No, that's not what I meant, Erin it is possible for a person to love more than one person. I love you because we're very close companions and I love Harry because…."

"He's your Darcy" Erin finished and Nikki smiled

"So it's like Elizabeth…she likes Wickham and Darcy but in different ways"

"Yes" Nikki said finally relieved that the girl had grasped it

"What about my Mum?" she said and Nikki froze knowing it was a dangerous subject

"What about her?"

"I don't think she loved my dad or me" Erin said quietly

"No…" Nikki said

"It doesn't matter though because I don't love her either"

"I see…"

"Is that wrong?" Erin said

"No Erin that's perfectly understandable. She did a lot of bad things to you"

"I didn't cry when she died"

"I know" Nikki said gently

"But she's gone now and that's an end to it" Erin said bravely "And now I have you and Leo and Harry…"

"And Janet…" Nikki added

"She doesn't know me" Erin scowled "And I don't know her"

Nikki was about to ask Erin something when Leo came back through the doors, Erin bounded up to him and gave him a hug. Nikki looked across at the family scene and smiled but she couldn't help but worry about what Erin had said to her

* * *

"Nikki are you alright?" Harry said to Nikki as they worked together on a corpse

"I was thinking about what Erin said earlier"

Harry sighed "Nikki, she grew up in a place full of hate, when she came to us she finally found herself surrounded by people who loved and cared for one another as well as herself, she's bound to find it confusing"

"I know but she seemed cold when Janet was mentioned"

"She probably feels threatened by another woman's presence and a little frightened too"

"She's not like that around me"

"She learnt to trust you Nikki and I think in time she'll learn how to trust Janet too"

"I hope you're right" Nikki sighed

I'm always right" Harry grinned

"Except when you're wrong" Nikki teased

"When have I ever been wrong?"

"That last case we had"

"I wasn't wrong I was misinformed"

"Of course you were" Nikki said in a patronising tone

Their gentle teasing continued for a while longer until Leo stuck his head round the cutting room door and called Nikki into his office

"I'll deal with you later" Nikki said to Harry snapping off her rubber gloves as she made her way out of the cutting room

"I look forward to it" he grinned as he watched Nikki saunter out of the room

* * *

"Nikki I have to go out this afternoon for a couple of hours and I'm leaving you in charge" Leo said when she had made her way into his office

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking Erin to see her appointment with her psychologist"

"I see" Nikki nodded "How are things going on that front?"

"I think they're ok…she seems to like him and he helps her deal with things especially the nightmares and bad dreams"

"Good" Nikki smiled "Leo can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course…."

"Erin was asking me about love today, she seemed a little confused"

"Ah" Leo smiled "I had a feeling this might come up. She's been asking me a lot about Janet"

Nikki nodded "She couldn't quite grasp how you could love her and love Janet at the same time" Leo nodded deep in thought "I tried to clear things up and I think she grasped the concept but she seemed a little cold when I mentioned Janet"

Leo grimaced "I thought she would be, I'm wary of introducing Erin to another woman so soon but…"

"Leo you have to live your life too" Nikki protested

"I know…" Leo sighed "Look are you and Harry busy tomorrow evening?"

"We've got nothing planned"

"Would you and Harry like to come round for dinner? I'm inviting Janet too so it might make introductions a little easier and I'd love to spend some quality time with you and Harry"

"Likewise" Nikki smiled sweetly "That's fine Leo and it would be lovely"

She smiled at him as she left his office; Leo glanced at the clock and called to Erin who entered his office a couple of seconds later

"Are you ready to go?" he said grabbing his coat

Erin nodded and the two of them left the lab, as they walked out into the car park Erin slipped her small hand into Leo's bigger one. Leo felt his heart swell with joy as she tightened her grasp. The two of the were building a strong relationship and Leo felt it could withstand anything

* * *

"Leo's invited us round for dinner tomorrow" Nikki said as she returned to the cutting room as Harry was cleaning the cutting tables

"Trying to poison us with his cooking again?" Harry grinned "Still it will make a change from your…well I was going to saying cooking but I thin k that's a little too generous"

"What is wrong with my cooking?" Nikki demanded

"Nikki you're a terrible cook, you can burn water!" Harry winced as she hit him on the arm

"You can't speak, you can only cook pasta and that's on a good day"

"In several thousand different ways"

"It's still only pasta" Nikki said sulking slightly

"Well then Leo's cooking will make a nice change from burnt water and bland pasta" Harry said wrapping his arms around Nikki and kissing her neck

"Leo's gone for the afternoon" Nikki murmured as she leant into Harry

"Has he?" Harry raised his eyebrows and grinned "That means we have the place to ourselves"

"What about the lab technicians?" Nikki said as she cottoned on to what Harry was suggesting

"Dam!" Harry swore as a technician just walked into the room, the two of the broke apart "its ok Nigel" he said to the technician "Doctor Alexander and myself have got things covered; you can take a break for…" he glanced across at Nikki "Ten minutes?"

"Twenty" Nikki murmured

"Twenty minutes" Harry called and Nigel nodded and made his way out of the cutting room

"Twenty minutes?" Harry said turning to Nikki

"Twenty minutes and counting" She said grinning at Harry

**Author's note: Phew long chapter! If you haven't noticed already I've given names to the chapters, adds a little variety and I was bored. Sorry about the wait for updates, as you know my arm is still sore and this chapter took me a while to type up (one handed as usual). Casts are not fun especially when you have it for the whole summer :( Roll on autumn! **


	26. Daydream believer

"And how have you been since I last saw you Erin?" Doctor Dan Williams was sitting on the floor of his office opposite Erin. As a psychologist he knew how important it was to make his patients feel comfortable around him, he had soon worked out that Erin did not like formalities and so they took to having their sessions sitting cross legged on the floor facing one another

"Ok I guess" Erin said shifting her position slightly

"So what have you been up to?" he said watching the young girl closely

"Not much…."

"Come on Erin" he said gently "I know you don't like talking much but…"

"…it only serves to help me" she finished for him and he nodded "The fostering application came through"

"So I see" Dan said pointing to a brown file on the floor next to him "How did that make you feel when you found out?"

Erin paused for a moment trying to find the right word "Happy…but not just happy, really really happy. I couldn't speak I was that happy" she blurted out, frowning slightly when she realised that what she had just said might not have made perfect sense

"I understand Erin" Dan said smiling at her "Now do you remember what I asked you to think about for me last time?"

Erin nodded "My mum" she said quietly and Dan nodded

"I know this is hard for you…"

"I don't care" Erin said defensively

"Are you still getting the nightmares?"

Erin shook her head "Not so much anymore, occasionally I do…"

"And what do you do when you have a nightmare?"

"I calm myself down with that breathing technique you showed me…."

"…Good girl" Dan smiled encouragingly

"And then Leo told me that I should wake him up…even if it's really early in the morning. We talk it over and he tells me that its ok and she can't hurt me anymore"

"And you understand that she can't Erin, don't you?" Dan said frowning

Erin nodded slowly "She's dead…she can't get me" Erin said with no emotion in her voice

"So you understand that when you have a nightmare that it's only a bad dream and dreams can't hurt you"

Erin nodded again "I just want to move on from this…I don't want her to ruin my life anymore. I want to prove to myself that I'm not a waste of space, I don't want to be a victim anymore"

"And you will do all this, Erin but these things don't go away overnight but talking through them helps and so does telling Leo how you feel" Erin nodded and Dan made a note on the pad next to him "So what do you dream about now?"

Erin thought for a moment "When Leo found me, and the times I spent with Harry and Nikki"

"And those are good dreams?" Dan asked cocking his head on one side

"Those are very good dreams" Erin said with a smile "And sometimes I…" she stopped in mid-flow and looked up at Dan

"Go on…" he encouraged

"I dream about my Dad…" she said quietly

Dan looked at her closely, this was the first time they had touched the subject of her absent parent "How do those dreams make you feel?"

Erin shrugged "I don't know how to explain it…"

"Do you want to draw it?" Dan said motioning to the pens and pencils on the floor space between them

Erin nodded and he pushed a sheet of paper and a selection of pens towards her. Erin leant over the paper and started drawing intently, her tongue was pushed between her teeth in concentration and her brow was furrowed in thought. Soon she was finished and she pushed the paper back towards Dan. He studied it carefully; Erin had drawn the outline of a man's face but had not filled in any of the features, the figure was standing with his arms outstretched and was surrounded by a dark mist

"And this is what you dream?" He asked

Erin nodded "Sometimes…but I don't like this dream as much as I like the ones about Leo, Nikki and Harry. When I dream about my Dad it scares me"

"How do you know this is your Dad?"

Erin bit her lip before answering "I jut know…"

"And what happens in this dream?"

Erin frowned and closed her eyes "It's dark and I can't quite make out where I am, I turn around and he's stranding there. I know it's my Dad…but it's all blurry and muddled up. He stretches his arms out but I don't understand if he wants to hug me or choke me. I start to get scared when he moves towards me, I want to run but at the same time I want to see if I can make out his face if he comes close to me. He gets closer and closer but the mist is getting thicker and thicker, it's a swirling haze that feels like its suffocating me and then…then I wake up"

"It's ok Erin" he said noticing the tears forming in the girl's eyes "It's only a dream and it won't hurt you"

Erin nodded "It feels so real though"

"I know" Dan said gently "But you're safe and when you wake up the dream is over and it can't hurt you. And you know that Leo isn't very far away from you and if you need some reassurance you can talk to him ok?"

"Ok" Erin sniffed and wrinkled her nose trying to push back the oncoming set of tears

"I want you to do something for me" Dan said standing up and walking over to his desk "I want you to record your dreams when you wake up, write them down or do a drawing like you did for me a moment ago" he came back from around the desk and sat down next to Erin with a small black notebook in his hands "This is going to be your special dream log book and you can write down them in here"

"How's that going to help?" Erin said looking confused

"It might be able to help you understand why you have these dreams and when you come and see me for our session we can talk the dreams over. Subconsciously, when you're asleep, you're mind goes back through past events and incorporates them into a dream. So what you dream about might be an issue playing on your mind. Now you told me you want to move on so if we start addressing these things you're dreaming about, you'll be able to work through them and have happier dreams like the ones about Leo, Nikki and Harry"

"I like those dreams" Erin said with a faint smile on her face as she recalled the memory

"I know you do" Dan said smiling at how innocent the girl in front of him was "So do you think you can do that for me?"

"Yes" Erin said sounding a lot more confident

"Good girl, now do you remember when is it I'm seeing you again?"

"Monday" Erin answered are a pause for thought

"So today is Wednesday which means there are five days before we talk again" Dan said making a note in his diary "Make sure you try to fill in the dream log and talk to Leo if you're feeling scared by your dreams"

"I will" Erin said standing up and following Dan out of his office

"Stay safe for me Erin and I will see you on Monday"

Erin said her goodbyes and made her way out of the building, she stepped into the car park and pulled her jacket tightly around her as the winter wind started to pick up. She smiled as she spotted Leo's car waiting for her and she hurried over to it eager to see Leo and to get warm

"You're looking much happier" Leo said noting the rosy glow in her cheeks and the smile that played on her face

"Yeah" Erin said settling down into the car seat

"Did it go ok?" Erin made a noise of affirmation "Good"

Leo started the car and they started the drive in silence, Leo was careful not to push Erin too hard after her sessions with Dan Williams and she usually didn't say much after them but eventually when they were caught in traffic Erin spoke up.

"Do you ever have weird dreams?" she said glancing across at Leo

"Sometimes…" he said keeping an eye on the traffic

"I do too…we were talking about dreams today"

"You and Dan?" Leo asked and Erin nodded

"He thinks that the dreams I have might be to do with an underlying issue I have to face" Erin said trying to repeat exactly what Dan had told her

"Well I'm no psychologist but he might have a point there. Many people think that dreams are significant"

"He told me I should write them down in a dream log"

"Did he?" Leo said with a smile on his face, glad that Erin was at ease talking to him about her sessions

The two of them sat in silence for a little longer waiting for the traffic to move, when it eventually did and the road started to clear it was Leo who broke the silence between then

"I've invited Nikki and Harry over for dinner tomorrow night"

"Really? That's nice" Erin smiled

"And Janet…" Leo said hoping that Erin would react positively

"Oh…Ok" Erin said quietly

"She's looking forward to meeting you" Leo said trying to coax Erin round to the idea

"Oh right…" Erin said turning her gaze out of the window

"You can help me cook if you want" Leo said changing the subject

"I'm not very good at cooking but I'll try" Erin said turning back to Leo with a smile

Leo returned her smile and the two of them started to talk about how they would plan the evening, Erin seemed quite content but whenever Janet was mentioned she seemed to clam up a little. Leo just hoped that the dinner evening would go smoothly and would be a positive experience for them all.

**Author's note: I'm not sure about this chapter, but anyway the next chapter will be the dinner evening which I've started to write so I should get that up soon (hopefully by the end of the weekend-but don't quote me on that) I think i'm getting the hang of one hand typing now! I still have a little way to go if you're all still reading and enjoying it. As usual if there's anything wrong with it just drop me a note and I will sort it :) **


	27. The dinner party

A car pulled up outside Leo's house and Harry stepped out and round the car to open the door for Nikki

"A perfect gentleman, now why isn't your bedside manner so great?" Nikki said with a grin as she stepped out of the car

"You weren't complaining last night" Harry teased

"I didn't get a chance" She smiled wryly

They walked up the path towards Leo's front door and as Nikki knocked, Harry placed his arms around Nikki's waist and pulled her close to him

"Harry!" Nikki said turning red at the display of affection

"What can't I kiss my incredibly beautiful and intelligent girlfriend?" he said stroking her face with the back of his hand

Nikki nuzzled his neck "You can but that fact of the matter is, you have really cold hands"

Harry laughed "Warm heart"

"I severely doubt it" Nikki said as the door was opened "Hi Leo" she smiled as he greeted them

"Come in" he let them pass into the warmth of the house

"Is Janet here yet?" Nikki said shrugging off her jacket and handing it to Harry who sighed dramatically

Leo shook his head "Not yet, she's been held up at work though she should be here soon"

"How's Erin holding up?" Nikki asked

Leo shrugged "She's alright except when I mention Janet"

"I'm sure she'll be fine when they're introduced" Nikki reassured Leo who gave her a grateful smile in return

"I'm sure you're right. Anyway come through into the living room, Erin will be down in a minute" he said leading them through a door and into the cosy room

* * *

Erin was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling when she heard a brief knock at the door, however she ignored it and rolled over to face the wall

"Erin?" Leo called "Can I come in?"

"Yes" Erin said resignedly

The door clicked open and Leo stepped in as Erin pushed herself up to a sitting position on the bed

"Nikki and Harry are here" he informed the young girl as she started playing with a strand of hair to distract herself

"I thought I heard someone at the door" she said not looking up at him

"Janet will be here soon" Leo said and this time Erin did not reply "Will you come downstairs and keep Harry and Nikki in order whilst I check on the food?"

"They don't want my company" she said wrinkling her nose "They've got each other"

"They see each other everyday, your company is a nice change" Leo said with a small smile

Erin sighed "Ok…"

"You'll come down?" she nodded

"Thank you Erin, I know you're not best keen on strangers but you've been a real help these last couple of days"

"Really?" she said beaming at his praise

Leo nodded "Now come on, go downstairs and keep an eye on Harry and Nikki for me"

Erin smiled and got off her bed, she ducked under Leo's arm and made her way downstairs still feeling a pit of nervousness in her stomach

* * *

"Hey stranger" Harry greeted Erin with a grin as she walked into the living room "We were wondering where you got to"

"I was upstairs getting ready" she said curling up on a chair opposite Harry who had his arm around Nikki

"Well you take a much shorter time than Nikki" Harry chuckled and received a slap on the arm from Nikki

"I do not take that long!" Nikki protested

"Three hours of my life wasted whilst you worked out what to wear" Harry teased the woman in his arms

"I think you look nice" Erin said glancing at Nikki's black skirt and blouse

"Oh I see how it is" Harry said shaking his head "I'm getting ganged up on just for being a bloke"

"Yes" Nikki and Erin said in unison and Harry rolled his eyes

They chatted a little longer, the gentle banter making the atmosphere in the room relaxed. Harry was playing with Nikki's hair whilst she and Erin were talking about their favourite books when the doorbell rang. Erin froze and looked towards the house, startled at the sudden noise

"Erin, can you get that for me?" Leo called "That'll be Janet"

However Erin sat frozen to her seat, eyes wide and saying nothing

"I'll get it" Nikki said uncurling herself from Harry and making her way towards the door

"Erin?" Harry said trying to coax the girl back into speaking however she did not stir. Harry got off the sofa and crouched down in front of Erin "Erin look at me" he said as the girl moved her gaze towards Harry "It's perfectly fine, Janet's a friend and is not going to hurt you, I promise you that"

Harry's soothing tones seemed to snap the girl out of her trance and she blinked a couple of times before nodding in acknowledgement of what Harry had said. He gave the girl a comforting squeeze on the arm before resuming his place and distracting her with another topic of conversation

* * *

"Janet!" Nikki said as the woman stepped into the warm house still shivering slightly from the cold winter weather "Hi!"

"Nikki, its lovely to see you, how have you been?" Janet said smiling warmly at the young girl

"Oh you know it's been the usual chaos down at the morgue" Nikki smiled

At that moment Leo stepped into the hallway and greeted Janet with a small peck on the cheek

"I'm glad you could make it" Leo said gazing lovingly at Janet

"Well I'm glad I could come" Janet said retuning the gaze

"Erin's been looking forward to meeting you as well" Leo said as the three of them made their way into the living room

* * *

Both Erin and Harry looked up as the door opened and Leo and Nikki entered followed by an unfamiliar woman which Erin assumed must be Janet

"Hi Janet" Harry said standing up to greet the woman at the same he passed Nikki a flirty look

"Harry, you haven't changed a bit" Janet said smiling as she caught sight if the look passed between Harry and Nikki

"Janet, this is Erin" Leo said gesturing to Erin who had her gaze fixed on Janet

"It's lovely to meet you Erin, I've heard a lot about you from Leo" Janet said holding her hand out to the girl

Erin looked at the outstretched hand suspiciously; she glanced across at Leo who nodded his head. She wrinkled her nose before taking Janet's hand as they shook in greeting

"This is for you Erin" Janet said passing the young girl a package wrapped in pink tissue paper

Erin took the package cautiously and started to unwrap it, finding a copy of Wuthering Heights at the centre

"Leo told me that you liked reading"

"What do you say Erin?" Leo said looking at the young girl who gaze still laid on the book

"Thank you very much for the book, it was very thoughtful of you" Erin reeled off still keeping her gaze downwards

There was an awkward pause in the room, Leo popped back into the kitchen and announced that he would be serving up dinner shortly. Everyone gathered round the table hoping that dinner wouldn't be as awkward as the introductions

* * *

The meal was a relaxed occasion with the adults chatting among themselves about their work and the latest scientific developments. Erin meanwhile did not say a word and just picked at her food barely eating it. Eventually she made her excuses to go to the toilet and left the room.

"She's a lovely girl" Janet said as Erin left the room and everyone gave a murmur of agreement

"That was kind of you to give her that book" Leo said nodding his thanks to Janet

"Oh it was nothing" Janet said modestly

At that moment Harry slid his hand under the table and squeezed Nikki's leg, Nikki let out a squeal at the action and reddened when Janet and Leo started at her

"Nikki is everything ok?" Leo said taking a sip of wine

"Yes" she said smiling innocently

"How long have you two been together?" Janet asked and Nikki and Harry gawped at her in shock

"Are we really that obvious?" Harry asked

"Yes" Janet laughed "It's very sweet"

"I'm just glad they got their act together after all these years" Leo teased

"And is it working out alright?" Janet asked Nikki

She nodded "In fact we're moving in together" Nikki said smiling at Harry

"Really?" Leo said raising his eyebrows

"For economic reasons obviously" Harry said grinning at Nikki and Leo rolled his eyes

"You two are impossible" he laughed

The conversation resumed its natural flow although Erin was still absent from the table

"She's been a while" Leo said looking concerned

"I'll go and check on her if you want, anyway I need to fix my make-up" Nikki said as she left the table

* * *

Erin was sitting on the stairs with her head leaning against the wall as she listened to the conversation from the adults. The gentle banter and laughter made her smile but she still felt awkward and ashamed that she couldn't fit in

"Erin?" Nikki said as she made her way up the stairs "What are you doing sitting here on your own?"

Erin shrugged "I don't know…" was all that she answered

"We were wondering where you went" Nikki said sitting down next to Erin

"I can't do it" Erin said, her voice was on the verge of tears

"You can't do what?" Nikki questioned

"I want to like Janet but I cant" Erin said and a few stray tears ran down her face

"Oh Erin" Nikki sighed "She's not going to hurt you; she's not at all like your mother. Not all women are going to hurt you like your mother did, Janet wants to get to know you, she doesn't understand your thought processes like we do, you have to help her understand you"

"Does she know?" Erin said brushing away the tears "Does she know what Mum and Ryan did to me?"

Nikki shook her head "Leo didn't tell her that because he knows that it has to be your decision if and when you decide to tell someone"

"But Dan knows…"

"…Dan being your psychologist?" Nikki asked trying to recall where she knew the name from and Erin nodded "He knows because he's trying to help you deal with all of this but he has to stick to the doctor-patient confidentiality rules where he cant tell anyone else what you and him talk about"

"Oh…" Erin said sounding more reassured

"Erin no one is going to push you into speaking about what happened but if and when you want to, we'll always be here to help and listen to you. Janet included, she won't think badly of you because of it. She likes you very much; she was just saying what a lovely girl you are. She wants to get to know you some more and I think that deep down in your heart you want to get to know her too, am I right?"

"Sort of…" Erin shrugged

"We'll take it little steps at a time, so when you go back in there try and strike u a conversation with her and I bet she'll love to hear what you have to say"

"Do you think so?" Erin asked looking up at her

"I know so" Nikki smiled gently "Now come on, we'll go back in their together"

* * *

"Do you think Nikki's ok?" Leo asked starting to look worried

"Nikki's fine" Nikki answered for herself as she entered the room followed by Erin who sat down at her seat at the table

"Is everything ok?" Harry whispered noticing the stray tears on Erin's face

"It is now" Nikki reassured him and squeezed his hand

Erin finally looked up at the people around her; she saw Leo's worried looking face as he cast his gaze from Janet to Erin. She knew he wanted her to get on with Janet and she really wanted to make him happy but there was still a pit of doubt inside of her. She glanced across at Nikki who nodded and smiled encouragingly at her, Erin took one last glance at Leo and saw the strain on his face and decided that her mind was made up.

"I've never read Wuthering Heights before" she said quietly and Janet looked across at her with surprise on her face, it was the first time that Erin had directly spoken to her without being prompted to

"I think I was about your age when I first read it, I studied it at school. I think you'll enjoy it. You like reading don't you?" Janet said making her tone friendly so as not to make Erin lam up again  
Erin nodded "I like drawing to"

Leo broke into a smile, pleased that Erin was finally talking to Janet "Erin's fantastic at drawing, she's going to take it as a subject at her new school"

"Did you find a place then?" Harry said glancing across at Erin

"Yes" Erin confirmed "They said I can start there after Christmas"

"She's going to Park lane school, they've got a nice sixth form there and they are a specialist arts school" Leo said filling in the details

"Oh you'll fit in perfectly then Erin" Harry smiled

"Do you want to see some of my drawings later?" Erin asked Janet shyly

"I would like that very much Erin" Janet said smiling affectionately at the young girl

The rest of the meal was spent in perfect harmony and Leo was overjoyed to see the bond developing between Erin and Janet

* * *

A few hours later and the guests were starting to make their way home. Harry and Nikki left first making the excuse of having some 'unfinished business' to attend to

"I'm so proud of you Erin" Nikki whispered in Erin's ear as she hugged her goodbye

"Thanks for coming" Leo said as he saw them out of the door "And Nikki…"

"Yes Leo?"

"I don't know what you said to Erin but thank you" Leo said and the gratitude was evident in his voice

"Well sometimes it takes a woman's touch" Nikki explained

"Can I experience some of that later?" Harry asked wrapping his arm around Nikki's waist

"I'll see you tomorrow bright and early" Leo said as the two of them made their way back towards Harry's car giggling and laughing like children

After that it was Janet's turn to leave. She gave Leo a kiss on the cheek and they said a fond farewell, promising to meet up again soon. As Janet made her way down the path she heard a voice calling her name and she stopped

"Janet!" the voice called again and she turned around to see Erin catching up after her

"Erin you have no shoes on" Janet said pointing to the young girl's bare feet

"This will only take a second" Erin said hopping from one foot to the other as the cold set in on her bare skin "I like you" she blurted out

"Thanks" Janet smiled "I like you too Erin"

"And I like it when you're with Leo too" Erin continued "I think I like you even more then"

Janet chuckled "I think what you're trying to say is that you give mine and Leo's relationship your blessing" Erin nodded "Well I'm glad you approve"

"This is for you" Erin said thrusting a piece of paper into Janet's hands "You gave me a present and now I'm giving you one"

In the fading light of the day Janet was able to make out that it was one of Erin's sketches she held in her hands, this one was a pencil drawing of some water lilies in a pond

"Erin it's beautiful" Janet said beaming at the young girl's gift

"Leo said you like water lilies" She explained

"They're my favourite" she said thanking the young girl "Thank you very much, now you should probably go back inside before you catch frostbite"

"I probably should" Erin agreed, her feet were hurting they were so cold "Bye Janet"

"Bye Erin" Janet smiled as she made her way to her car "Take care now"

* * *

"Thank you for today" Leo said, he was standing in the doorway of Erin's bedroom as she climbed into bed

"I'm sorry I disappeared for so long…" she began

Leo cut her off "…You don't need to explain"

"I like Janet" Erin said as she snuggled down into her pillow

"I like her too" Leo smiled

"Do you love her?" Erin asked and Leo could see a cheeky grin playing on Erin's lips

Leo sighed "Goodnight Erin" he said turning off the light

"You're blushing" she called after him as he left her room

"Goodnight Erin" he called again but she could hear the amusement in his voice

Erin felt a wave of tiredness wash over her and soon she was fast asleep, she wasn't having nightmares of her mother and she wasn't having the scary dreams of her father, Erin Jones was dreaming the good dreams, the dreams where she was happy and safe with Leo, Nikki and Harry and now it appeared that Janet was included in that list as well.

**Author's note: Phew! Long chapter, 6 pages on Microsoft word, which has to be a new record for me! **


	28. Moving in

**Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to Lilypad1 because she gave me the idea for the chapter and I would like to thank her for the lovely get well soon e-mail she sent me which cheered me up no end**

Harry stumbled into room with a huge cardboard box in his arms, his was staggering under its weight and his face had turned a shade of red with the strain

"Blimey Nikki!" he exclaimed "What do you have in here?" he wheezed

"Hmm?" she said turning around and smiling as she saw the perspiration on his face as he tried to catch his breath "Oh just my shoes" she said casually

"Your…" Harry spluttered "…Your shoes?"

Nikki nodded before breaking into a smile "Oh Harry!" she giggled "I'm only joking, my medical textbooks are that box"

"Good" he said wiping his brow

"My shoes are in that box over there" she said pointing to an even bigger cardboard box that was sitting in the corner

She smiled to herself as she turned back around, hearing Harry's exclamation of shock as he eyed up the amount of stuff she had, even Nikki had to admit she never realised how much junk she had. Leo had given them the day off so Nikki could move into Harry's place and the two of them had been shifting boxes around for most of the morning.

"Nikki your house was tiny, how did you fit all this stuff in there?" Harry said throwing his arms wide open and gesturing to the piles of boxes spread about them

Nikki shrugged "It's a girl thing…"

"…A girl thing?" Harry said raising his eyebrows as he walked over to Nikki and slipped his arms around her waist

"Yes" Nikki said leaning her head backwards and looking up at him "Now if you're really lucky you might just stumble across the box that has my underwear in"

Harry gave Nikki a flirty look and released his arms before diving through the boxes trying to sort through them

"Ah men" Nikki sighed to herself as she picked up the box she had been sorting through into the bedroom leaving _'Good things come to those who wait'_ Nikki smiled to herself as she unpacked the box containing her underwear

* * *

"I'm all moved in" Nikki said as she flopped down on the sofa next to Harry who wrapped his arms around her.

He gazed around the room and noticed that it had indeed become a lot more cluttered; his CD collection seemed to have expanded massively, he now had a DVD collection and the room seemed to smell of some flower Harry could not put a name to. There was no denying the Nikki had made her mark on the place and was officially moved in

"You defiantly are" Harry said exhausted at all the moving they had done

"And we are now economically friendly" Nikki said a grin "Because of course that was the main reason for me moving in with you"

Harry nodded his head "Of course" he said pulling her closer to him "And everything else is just a perk" and Nikki squealed as he tickled her

"Harry?" Nikki said once she was calmed down enough to compose herself "Why did we not do this sooner?"

"Sooner?" he said craning his neck down to look at her "I only asked you last week"

"No!" Nikki said hitting him playfully "I mean, why didn't we do this…me and you… together sooner?"

Harry paused for thought before saying "I don't know, I guess because of work politics and ex-girlfriends turning up we never got past the 'friendship faze'"

"Harry? Nikki asked again

"What?"

"I'm glad you got me drunk" and Harry snorted with laughter "No I mean it" Nikki said sitting up "Otherwise me and you never would have happened"

"This is true" Harry said contemplating what Nikki was saying "Well we owe it all to the inventor of alcohol"

"We shouldn't tell the grandkids that though…" Nikki said lying back down and resting her head on Harry's chest

"…Grandkids?" Harry questioned "And where might these appear from?"

"Aren't you a bit old to be asking those questions?" Nikki sniggered and Harry rolled his eyes "Well…" Nikki began "When two people love each other very much, a stork comes flying down and…"

"Nikki?" Harry called "Nikki?"

"What?" she moaned and Harry leant over her and placed his lips on hers and the two of them fell into a passionate embrace only breaking apart for the need of air

"Now she shuts up2 Harry grinned

"I need to test the bed…" Nikki said grining as she eyed Harry up and down

"I thought you already did that?" Harry said teasing her

"Yes but we have to be sure of these things. We are scientists Doctor Cunningham and we pride ourselves on the reliability of our data"

"And your point is?" Harry said looking slightly confused

"How do you get your data more reliable?" Nikki prompted

"You do repeats?" Harry said frowning "Oh!" he said as the penny finally dropped "You do repeats! Well Doctor Alexander, in the name of science I do insist that you test the bed again and I would like to offer my assistance"

"Oh I think you can be of some service" Nikki grinned as the two of them rushed into the bedroom

* * *

Nikki flopped down onto the bed with a content sigh "Wow…" she breathed

"Nikki?" Harry said propping himself up on one elbow to look at her

"Hmm?" Nikki said as she pulled the duvet around her to keep warm

"Do you really think about stuff like grandchildren?"

"Sometimes I do" she frowned "What about you?"

"Yeah…" Harry nodded slowly "I think about children too"

"Do you?" Nikki said and Harry nodded again

"I never thought I was the family type but as soon as I met you I could picture myself with children. Playing in the garden with them, reading them bedtime stories, collecting them from school and hearing about their day, all stuff like that"

"Yeah I can imagine you with little ASBO and asparagus…." Nikki said

"…ASBO and asparagus?" Harry said looking shocked and Nikki broke into a peal of laughter

"Oh Harry you are so easy to wind up" she said wiping the tears of laughter off her face "But seriously" she said turning to face him "Do you really imagine stuff like that?"

"Only when I'm with you" he nodded

"I can too; I always wanted a big family. I hated being an only child, it was so…." Nikki paused looking for the right word

"…Lonely" Harry finished for her and she nodded "It was the same for me, I always wanted a big family so the rooms would be filled with noise and laughter not the heavy silence I was used to as a child" and Nikki made a noise of agreement

"I want to be with you forever?" Nikki breathed as Harry ran a hand through her hair

"I'd hope you'd say that" Harry said smiling at her "Because there's something I want to ask you"

"Go on" Nikki encouraged feeling warmth of his body as he moved closer to her

"I know we've been barely going out that long ands we've only just moved in together but…" Harry shook his head and fell silent

"Harry…" Nikki prompted

"Nikki I love you more than I have ever loved anyone, including Leo" he added which made Nikki collapse into a fit of laughter "Seriously Nikki, I cant think of anyone I would rather spend the rest of my life with, when I'm with you everything makes perfect sense and I know we're rushing things but it just seems to make sense. We've known each other for countless years and I've always felt something for you and it's got to a point where I have to act on it or I don't know what will happen"

"I feel the same way" Nikki said as she wrapped herself around him, savouring the way their two bodies seemed to fit around each other perfectly

"Marry me…" Harry said as he breathed in Nikki's scent

"Harry?" Nikki breathed

"I mean it Nikki, we don't have to rush it and you don't even have to give me an answer straight away. But I know that you're the one person I want to spend the rest of my life with…"

Nikki leaned up and kissed him tenderly on the lips "Go on then" she grinned and he could see the tears sparkling in her eyes

"So will you…."

"….Marry you?" she asked and he nodded "Yeah go on then it might be a laugh" she giggled and Harry wrapped his arms around her and the two of them embraced

Harry cleared his throat suddenly "And of course it makes economical sense" he said trying not to laugh

"Oh yeah" Nikki agreed trying to keep a serious look on her face "And by getting married we will be keeping the wedding shops in business"

"Exactly" Harry agreed "We're helping other out of the goodness of our hearts"

"I love you" she sighed as she gazed into his dark eyes which seemed to be brimming with emotion as he gazed at her lovingly "Now are you going to make me a cup of tea or do I have to kick you out of bed?"

Harry chuckled as he slid out of bed "Milk, two sugars?" he asked already knowing the answer

"Yes and you need to get in the practise of this if we're going to spend the rest of our lives together"

"Anything else I should know?" he called

"I like really hot showers so don't think you're ever having anything but a cold shower from now on and takeaways are defiantly off the menu as the smell makes me feel sick"

"Ok" he called back as he clattered around in the kitchen

"There's one more thing you need to be aware of" she called to him

"What's that?"

"I love you Harry Cunningham" she bellowed at the top of her voice making the room echo.

She giggled as she heard Harry echo her response, she lay back down on the bed and contemplated the events of today and how lucky she was to have finally found her soul mate even if he did have no taste in music and left his dirty socks everywhere.


	29. The filing cabinet of my mind

"Hello again Erin" Doctor Dan Williams said as he walked out of his office to see the young girl sitting on a chair waiting for him "Do you want to come through?"

She nodded and slipped herself off the chair and followed him into his light and airy office, she seated herself down on the floor as Dan picked up a folder from his desk and leant down to join her. It was Monday and Erin was back again for another session with her psychologist. Dan was impressed with the progress the young girl was making and how mature she was being when facing up to her traumatic past

"So how have you been?" He looked at the young girl who was fiddling with the black notebook she had in her hands

"Good" she said finally looking up at him

"Have you been recording your dreams in there?" he asked motioning the notebook and she nodded "Can I have a look?" she paused before nodding again

She passed him the notebook and he accepted it with a warm smile. As he flicked through it he could see some of the pages covered in Erin's loopy handwriting. He scanned the pages and threw his glance back across at Erin who was picking at the sleeves of her top nervously

"Have you had anymore nightmares?" he asked handing it back to her

"No…not the ones about my mum anyway" she answered truthfully but Dan sensed some hesitation

"Erin?" he coaxed "I'm here to help"

"I know" she nodded and took a deep breath in as she closed her eye; Dan could hear her counting from one to ten under her breath. She was following a relaxation technique he had taught her, she mouthed the word ten, opened her eyes and looked back at him "I dreamt about Dad again. I don't want to dream about him anymore…"

"…Why not?" he asked "Is it still the same dream of the figure in the mist?"

Erin made a noise of agreement "But it's starting to scare me now, before I wanted to see what his face was like but now I just want to run"

"It's ok Erin" Dan said noticing the girl was getting herself in a state

Erin closed her eyes and counted to ten several times before continuing "I have the nice dreams with Harry, Nikki and Leo and they seem to make the bad dreams even worse"

"Erin" Dan said "Am I right in thinking your dad died when you were very young?" Dan already knew the answer but he wanted Erin to tell him in her own words

"Yes" she nodded, her voice became monotonous and her eyes showed no emotion. It was the same stance she took every time she spoke of either absent parent "I was a year old"

"Do you remember him?" Erin shook her head "How did her die?"

"You know that" she sighed "It's in their" she motioned to the brown folder Dan had picked up off his desk when he had arrived. It was a record of Erin and everything she told him

"I want you to tell me" he said gently

"He killed himself" Erin said coldly "Apparently he slit his wrists and that's how my mum died as well, someone slit her wrists. Maybe it's genetic…" her sentence trailed off as she pondered the thought

Dan shook his head "It's not, you are nothing like your parents"

"How would you know, you didn't ever meet them" she snapped and then shook her head violently "I'm sorry I didn't mean to shout"

Dan waved off her apology "You're allowed to get cross; I'm prying into personal areas…"

"It's not that" Erin sighed "I want to move on, but these dreams"

"You are moving on" he said gently "The nightmares about your mother are getting less and less frequent, situations like yours don't resolve themselves overnight but I promise you that you are making progress, it will just take time to fine tune everything"

"But why am I dreaming about him, I didn't even know him…" her voice was on the brink of desperation

Dan paused, trying to frame the words of his next sentence carefully "Maybe that's why you dream about him Erin. You see you're trying to move on from your past but there's a tiny part of your past that's always been unresolved. Think of it this way; your mind is like a huge filing cabinet and now you've got some new files to put in it but before you can move those new files into it you have to put the old files away. And you've sorted most of them but there's still one final one left"

"It's marked Dad" Erin said starting to understand the analogy

Dan nodded "But when you pick it up and open it to check where to file it, you can't find anything in it, it's empty…you didn't know your Dad and so you have no information about him"

"Mum never spoke about him" Erin frowned

"And you can put a file away that has nothing in it and so it just remains there and you keep coming back to it to see if you can put it away but there's still nothing there at the moment and so you can't"

"I think I understand" Erin said nodding slowly "Because I don't know anything about him, it's a part of my past that I cant put away because it's still very much open and still part of my present"

Dan nodded "Exactly Erin and that's why you keep having those dreams about your Dad. The ones about your Mum are fading because you're able to deal with that part of your past but the ones about your Dad are very much still issues that you need to attend to"

"How do I do it?" she said looking up at him intently focusing on each word he was saying

"That's for you to work out" Dan said and Erin sighed

"That's what you always say" she rolled her eyes at him

"Well it' your mind and you're the one who's in control of your life and thus you are the only one who can work out the right thing to do"

"But where do I start, I don't really want to go back there…it would mean remembering mum and I really don't want to do that"

"There are other ways" Dan said "Try talking to Leo or Nikki or Harry about it…"

"…Or Janet"

"Who's Janet?" Dan said registering this new name

"Leo's lady friend" she said using air quotes to frame her sentence

"Ah" Dan nodded "And do you two get on alright?"

"I've met her only the once" Erin said smiling at the memory "I was a bit scared at first, I thought she might be like Mum but she's not at all, she's like Nikki"

"How do you mean?"

"She's kind, caring and compassionate" Erin ticked off the attributes she had assigned to Janet on her fingers "Though she doesn't tell as good jokes as Nikki"

Dan smiled "You have another ally in your life and that's good. You should try talking to her as well"

"Do I have to dig up my past?" Erin said looking worried

Dan shook his head "That's for you to decide but there are other ways of dealing with events. You should consider talking to Nikki, Harry and Leo especially. They're pathologists and they deal with suicide cases. They can probably help you understand why he did it. Maybe you don't need to know every detail about your dad's life but more why he did what he did"

"And do you think the bad dreams will go away then?" she asked looking hopeful

"They might do, it's worth a shot isn't it?" Dan said and Erin nodded in agreement "But promise me you will talk to Nikki, Harry and Leo even if it's not about your Dad. Just keep talking to them and telling them how you feel"

"I will" Erin said solemnly agreeing to the promise

"After all Erin, everybody needs somebody…"

"…to love" Erin finished with a smile

"Someone to love" Dan said with a smile and Erin giggled

Dan looked across at the young girl that was the first time he had ever seen her smile like that and it was the first time he had ever seen her laugh. He had noticed that in each session her happiness seemed to be growing and it was never more evident than when she was talking about Harry, Nikki and Leo.

* * *

Half an hour later Erin exited Dan's office feeling a lot happier. She was determined to put her past behind her and when Erin Jones had decided on something her mind was firmly made up. Her mother called it a vile stubborn streak but Leo called it her resolute fiery nature. He always smiled when he saw the look in her eye that meant she had made up her mind and he always chuckled when Erin told him that she had 'totally defiantly and absolutely made up her mind forever and ever', She didn't mind him laughing, it wasn't in a horrible way but in a kind way that just about summed Leo up. As she stepped out in the car park she glanced around, she couldn't see Leo's car anywhere. The car park was empty and it was starting to get dark, the winter evening set in quickly and tonight was no different. She shivered pulling her jacket around her tightly as a cold wind came about ruffling her hair. Just then a black car sped into the car park and Erin immediately breathed a sigh of relief, as the car got closer her observations were confirmed as she saw Harry sitting at the drivers seat. He motioned for her to get inside and she gratefully accepted the invitation, eager to get out of the cold

"Leo got called out to a case" he said rolling his eyes as Erin buckled up her seatbelt

"I thought it was your day off?" she said glancing up at him

"Well it was but then I heard that there was a young girl in need of a lift home and well I couldn't leave you there standing in the could, could I ?" he grinned at her

"Well you could have…"

"But Leo would have strangled me with a pair of scrubs and Nikki would have kicked my shins very hard with one of her many pairs of boots that she has accumulated" he said pulling a face and Erin giggled

"Did Nikki finish moving in then?"

"Just about, lucky she's done I think my house would burst with the amount of stuff she's got" he grinned

"I'll tell her you said that" Erin teased

"Oh no don't" Harry exclaimed trying hard not to laugh "She'll give me her death look"

"She has a death look?" Erin questioned not able to picture it

"A little one" Harry said "But it's very deadly, she can stop a man in her paces a twenty feet"

"She's got you well trained then" Erin laughed

"Just in time…" Harry said and cut his sentence short realising what he was about to say

"Just in time for what?" Erin said sensing he was keeping things from her

"Erin" Harry began "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course" was her straightforward reply and Harry could see the honesty in her eyes

"We're getting married…"

"What you and Nikki?" she exclaimed

Harry sighed "No, me and Leo" he said sarcastically "Of course me and Nikki"

"Shame..." Erin said

"And why's that?" he said as they stopped at a junction

"I think you and Leo would make a sweet couple and I can just see you in a wedding dress"

Harry snorted with laughter "I'll make you walk all the way home"

"I'll tell Nikki to put on those black boots, the ones with the really sharp heel"

"Touché" Harry laughed

"Harry…" Erin said after a pause, waiting for Harry to recompose himself

"Erin?" he said

"Nikki's very lucky to have found you"

"I know she is" he smiled

"I think you're very lucky too, to have found her"

"Indeed I am" he said keeping his eyes on the road "And Leo's lucky to have found you"

"In different circumstances though and I was a mess when I came to the lab"

"Better than Nikki, you should see her first thing in the morning" he grinned

"I'm defiantly telling her you said that" Erin smiled

Harry chuckled as he registered Erin's comment, he was pleased to see this playful side coming out of her and he knew that she was right about him and Nikki. But as he glanced across at the young girl he couldn't help but notice there seemed to be something troubling her, he knew it wasn't about him and Nikki as it was the same gaze he had seen when he first pulled into the cap park to pick her up. He knew she could open up to Nikki and Leo but he wondered that maybe just this one time if he would be able to help her.


	30. Traffic Jam

Harry groaned as he saw the queue of traffic ahead of them, after picking up Erin from her appointment he was planning on dropping her off home and then going back to Nikki, which was the plan until they hit the massive traffic jam halting the roads to a standstill

"Looks like we're in it for the long haul" he said to Erin who rested her head back on the seat and sighed "Are okay?" he said noticing the reaction from her

"I'm just a bit tired" she said giving him a weak smile "Those sessions take a lot out of me"

Harry nodded understandingly "How are they going?"

Erin gave a shrug "Alright I think, apparently I'm making progress but it doesn't always feel that way"

"Well it will take time" Harry said gently "You'll get there eventually" and Erin nodded

They were silent for a moment both listening to the gentle hum of the engine

"Can I ask you something?" Erin said finally and Harry nodded. She opened her mouth but shut it again just as quickly and shook her head "It doesn't matter"

"Clearly it does" Harry said intrigued by the situation "You can talk to me you know, we're good friends aren't we?"

Erin nodded and closed her eyes. Harry could hear her counting from one to ten under her breath before she opened them again "Do you know about my Dad?" she blurted out

Harry nodded "He died when you were a year old, he…"

"…Committed suicide" Erin finished for him

"Why are you asking me this?" he said looking a little confused

"I keep dreaming about him, well not exactly him but what I think he is…was" she corrected herself

"I see…" Harry said now understanding the look he had seen in Erin's eyes earlier

"Why?" Erin said

"Why what?" Harry said knowing full well what she meant but he was still a little uneasy to push her on such a sensitive subject

"Why did he kill himself?"

"From what I understand he was depressed and things just got a bit much for him probably and so he took his life because he thought it was a way out all the problems"

"Did he not care about me?" Erin said and he could hear the building emotion in her voice

"He did Erin" Harry sighed "It's just very complicated and I didn't know your dad so I can't really explain…"

"That's what everyone says and nobody understands" Erin said turning her head away but not before Harry spotted the tears building in her eyes

"I never said that" Harry said as he gazed ahead at the reams of traffic "I do understand what you're going through…my own dad killed himself…"

"What?" Erin whirled back around to look at Harry who confirmed what he had just told her

"I was a little younger than you, he was ill too and things got a little much for him"

"Do you miss him?" Erin asked and Harry nodded

"But I had to move on because life still went on. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do and it was a very difficult thing to get my head around. My own dad loved me, in his own way, I'm sure of that. What he did is difficult to comprehend but he had his reasons just like your dad did…"

"He left me with her though" Erin said and Harry bit his lip

"I know, he probably thought it was for the best"

"But it wasn't…" Erin said darkly using the tone she always used when talking about her past

"Erin, look at me…." Harry said suddenly and Erin turned her head towards him "I know this is very hard for you but you have to try and move on, I know I sound very insensitive but believe me, you cannot let the past consume you. Hold your head high and just concentrate on the present. You have to take this one step at a time" he looked at the young girl and saw a stray tear roll down her face

She sniffed and brushed it away but another one soon filled its place "It's just the dreams"

"I know" Harry said sympathetically "I used to dream about my dad all the time after he died, some were good and some were bad. But that's all they were dreams and they couldn't hurt me…"

"Dan says that too" Erin said

"Well you should listen to him"

"I do but half the stuff he tells me is cryptic" and Harry laughed and Erin managed a weak smile in return

He pulled out of tissue from his pocket "It's clean" he gave it to the young girl so she could wipe her eyes "Erin, I'm not making any promises but if you'd like I'll see what I can find out about your Dad, he would have had a post-mortem done and it should be on file somewhere"

"Thank you" she whispered

"You know you can come and talk to me about this any time you want" Harry said as the car slowly inched forward and Erin nodded

"It's just hard that's all"

"I know" He said with a great understanding "You've been through more than most people have in their entire lives. You have every right to feel sorry for yourself"

"You have too" she protested

"But not as much as you" and Harry snorted with laughter "What?" she said looking confused

"We're arguing about who has had the worst life" He chuckled and Erin let out a small laugh

"How about we agree that we've both had a rubbish time" she said and Harry nodded

"And now we're both having a better time?" he asked and she agreed "Now it's my turn to ask you a question?" he said turning serious again

"Okay…" Erin said with a slight apprehension

"Do you really think I have the legs to pull off a wedding dress?" he said and Erin burst out laughing "Don't laugh. I'm serious!" he protested" but this just seemed to make Erin laugh harder

"I think you'd better leave the dress for Nikki to wear, you don't want to scar your guests for life" she said wiping the tears of laughter away from her face

Harry grinned at the young girl and when he turned back to the traffic he saw it was eventually starting to move. He paused for a moment in thought,; he wasn't a particularly religious man nor did he believe in fate but it seemed that the traffic jam had been a godsend. A weight seemed to have been lifted from Erin's shoulders and there was an unexpected kinship formed between the two of them as they bonded over their lost fathers. A white feather floated down and stuck on the windscreen

"A sign of the guardian angel" Erin said ominously

"Really, Mystic Meg?" Harry smirked "Do you think you can predict the end of this traffic jam?"

"Ha, Ha" Erin said sarcastically

The car jolted foreword and as the traffic cleared they began to move faster, Harry didn't believe in guardian angels or any protective sprits but he was sure this traffic jam had been of some use to them, whether it was sent by a guardian angel or just the useless people who were meant to sort out the congestion problems on this road and had failed miserably was an issue up for debate. Either the strong bond formed between the pair of them was turns for the better, helping both of them make something out of the tragedies of their lost parents. Harry smiled to himself; he was getting good at sorting out people's problems and wondered whether or not he should start charging for his services

**Author's note: Sorry I took so long about the update;I tried to put this up yesterday but the site wouldn't let me upload any documents!**


	31. For better or for worse?

Harry got back to his house later that evening, as he stepped into the welcoming glow of the living room he couldn't help but grin when he saw Nikki. She was curled up on the sofa wearing a pair of jogging bottoms and an old t-shirt, her hair was tied up messily but in Harry's eyes she looked as gorgeous as she ever did

"Did Erin get back alright?" she said craning her neck to look at Harry as he entered the room, he made a noise of affirmation and sat down next to Nikki "You were gone a long time" she said resting her head on his shoulder

"We got stuck in traffic" he answered "Still it gave me and Erin a chance to talk"

"What about?" Nikki said looking up at him

"Her dad" Harry said playing with a strand of Nikki's hair "She's been dreaming about him a lot and I think it was upsetting her"

"Oh…" Nikki frowned as she listened to what Harry had to say

"I told her about my dad as well" Harry said breathing in Nikki's scent "It seemed to calm her down a bit"

"I forgot you two shared that in common" Nikki said "At least you both can talk about it together now, you understand what she's going through and she understands how you feel"

"I could always talk to you" Harry smiled

"If I remember correctly I had to directly ask you about it"

"Yes well we got there in the end" Harry kissed Nikki gently on the head "It made me think though…"

"Careful, that's dangerous" Nikki laughed

"Very funny" he said rolling his eyes "It made me think that time is too short and when we have something precious we have to act before it slips away from our fingers"

"You're becoming very whimsical in your old age" Nikki said and Harry poked her to make her squeal

"I'm serious Nikki" he said

"I know you are" she smiled and fell silent to let him continue

"And so I thought about how precious you are to me and how I don't want to waste a second of my time with you so I thought…I know we've rushed getting together and everything but I want us to get married soon"

"Really?" Nikki said sitting up hurriedly and Harry nodded

"I doubt we'd have time to plan a lavish occasion but…"

Nikki shook her head "That's more than fine, the idea of a big white wedding always felt a little cheap and tacky to me"

"Really?" the time it was Harry's turn to ask the question and Nikki nodded "Well that's good, so what do you think"

"The sooner the better" she said leaning up to kiss him

"Well Christmas is only a couple of weeks away now" he said looking at the calendar which read the tenth of December

"Christmas is far too tacky to have a wedding" Nikki said and Harry agreed "What about in the new year?"

"New year, new start" harry said and Nikki smiled

"Doctor Cunningham that almost bordered on poetic!"

"January's cold though" Harry mused

"Well I'm hardly going to be out there prancing around stark naked" Nikki retorted and Harry raised his eyebrows

"No" Nikki said firmly "Not even if you asked me to, I love you but not enough to get hypothermia!"

"Fair enough" he smiled "What's your favourite number?"

"What?" Nikki frowned, confused at the sudden change of subject

"What's your favourite number?" Harry asked again

"Erm… thirteen" Nikki replied after a moments deliberation

"Thirteen, unlucky for some"

"But not for me" she grinned

"The thirteenth of January it is" Harry said

"Our wedding day?" she questioned

"Our wedding day" he grinned

"We haven't even told Leo" she smiled

"Erin knows" Harry told her "I sort of let it slip"

Nikki shrugged "It was bound to happen sooner or later, you do have a large mouth and only a small amount of brains"

"Thank you Nikki" he shook his head "And I was very nice today and got you this" he pulled a small square box out of his pocket and passed it to her. She opened it and gasped when she saw a beautiful ring in the centre; it was silver with a small precious stone in the centre

"What do you think?" Harry said as he saw her reaction

"I think you need to get down on one knee and do it properly" she grinned and Harry sighed as he slipped off the sofa but Nikki could see the smile that played across his face

* * *

Leo got home later the evening; in fact it was so later it was almost better to say morning. The lights were turned off when he entered the house so he assumed that Erin was asleep and sure enough when he went to check on her she was curled up in her duvet fast asleep. He went back downstairs and into the kitchen, he rummaged around for some aspirin to sooth the pounding in his head; it had been a stressful day and the last case he had been working on had made his day a lot worse. Three bodies at the bottom of a river meant three post-mortems and even more paperwork. He'd been working at the lab until the early hours to try and get things sorted but when the headache had come on he'd given up and headed for home. As he put the tablets in the glass and watched them fizz when he added the water, he sank down into a chair. He hadn't been feeling great for the last couple of days, he'd tried to shrug it off as nothing, he was sure he might have picked it up off of Erin when she'd had the chest infection. But it was getting steadily worse, he'd tried to hide it away from Harry and Nikki who he knew would only fuss and he'd tried even harder to hide it away from Erin who had enough to deal with at the moment. He downed the contents of the glass and tried to ignore the nauseous feeling in his stomach, his limbs ached as he dragged himself upstairs and finally sank into bed where his eyes shut immediately

* * *

Erin's eyes snapped open and she looked across at the clock on her wall, the hands were pointing at four o'clock. It was still dark outside and nothing stirred in the house. Erin liked the early mornings, everyone was still asleep and it made her feel like she was the only person awake in the world. She climbed out of bed and started to go through her morning ritual, very quietly so as not to disturb Leo who she knew would be asleep for at least a couple of hours more. She crept downstairs and walked into the living room and stopped at the picture of Theresa and Cassie

"Good morning" she whispered to the photo

This was something Erin did every morning and something Leo didn't know. Each morning she'd come down and greet the photo; she knew Leo loved them very much and she was respectful of that and so this was her own little way of showing her admiration. She pottered about the house getting herself sorted for the day ahead and soon found herself absorbed in a drawing she hadn't finished yesterday. She was going to give this one to Harry when she next saw him; it was a drawing of the heart, she knew this was his specialist organ and so she'd borrowed one of Leo's medical textbooks and carefully copied it, it was going to be her little way of saying thank you for talking things through with her yesterday.

Eventually she looked up to stretch her neck and frowned as her gaze fell on the clock; it was nearing nine o'clock; for Erin to be absorbed in drawing for hours on end wasn't unusual but Leo still wasn't up. She knew he was always up by eight to leave the house by nine to go to work. Her first thought was that he had already gone but that soon went out of her mind; he would have said goodbye to her first. Her next answer was that it was his day off but she checked the events diary he logged things in and saw he had two meetings pencilled in for today so it couldn't be and anyway he would have told her. She went through different scenarios in her head until ten o' clock and she knew that she couldn't put it off any longer. She crept upstairs and knocked tentatively on the door

"Leo" she called but there was no answer, she called several times more but to know avail.

She pressed her ear to the door to listen for any sound but the whole house was silent. Making up her mind, she pushed open the door and nearly collapsed with fright when she looked into the room

* * *

"Leo's not here yet" Harry said and he and Nikki walked into the lad holding hands and going through their usual cheery banter

"It's not his day off is it?" she asked and Harry shook his head "Maybe he got a call out"

"He would have left a note"

"Maybe he's just late" Nikki suggested and Harry shrugged

They both sat down at their desks but both knew that it was not like Leo to be late, the clock read ten o'clock and both knew that Leo was usually there by half past nine. Just then Harry's phone rang in his pocket

"Doctor Cunningham" he said into the phone in an over-exaggerated professional manner that made Nikki role her eyes

He grinned across at her as he listened to the speaker but his facial expression soon changed as the conversation went on "Listen to me, just keep calm and I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm leaving right now so just hang in there for me" he said in an urgent tone

"Harry?" Nikki stood up as she saw Harry put on the coat he had just taken off and scrabble around for his car keys

"That was Erin" he said breathlessly "We have to go"

"We can't just leave the lab!" Nikki said now very worried about Harry's erratic manner

"Nikki we have to go now" he protested "It's Leo…"

The sentence was left hanging as both Nikki and Harry dashed out of the lab as fast as they could neither knowing what they would find.


	32. Shock

Harry and Nikki pulled up outside Leo's house and fumbled to unclip their seatbelts as they hurriedly made their way towards Leo's house. Nikki caught sight of the apprehension on Harry's face and she was sure that it was a direct reflection to her own. They rushed towards Leo's door and Harry hammered on the glass, it was quickly opened by Erin and she moved aside to let them in

"Where is he Erin?" Harry said glancing around but Erin seemed incapable of making a reply, she opened her mouth but no words came out "Erin" he took her gently by the shoulders "Where is he?"

His touch seemed to jolt her back into reality "Upstairs" she eventually managed to spit out

Harry nodded and took the stairs two at a time shouting down at Nikki to look after Erin. As he made his way to the upstairs landing he looked around for Leo's room, he found one room with the door wide open and guessed this was his destination. He dashed through the door and halted when he Leo lying there

"Oh God, Leo…" he gasped

* * *

Meanwhile downstairs, Nikki led Erin into the kitchen and sat the girl down on a chair. Erin seemed incapable of speaking and just sat there dumbfounded, her face was drained of blood and she was shaking.

"Erin…" Nikki called trying to get the girls attention as she passed her a glass of water but the girls gaze was far away "Erin…" Nikki repeated and Erin gaze snapped back towards Nikki "Drink this" she said passing her the water

Erin accepted the glass with shaking hands and took a sip; however by now she was shaking so violently that she managed to spill most of the contents down her front and got very little in her mouth. She set the glass down and stood up shakily, she stumbled to the kitchen door but Nikki stopped her

"Harry's up there and he's sorting it all out" she said trying to soothe the young girl

Erin didn't react to what Nikki was saying; she seemed dazed and couldn't focus on what Nikki was saying. Nikki gently led the girl back into the kitchen, she could feel Erin shaking under her grasp, and she seemed to pale with every second that passed but still she did not say a word

* * *

"Leo?" Harry called as he leaned across the bed towards the man "Can you hear me?"

Even though Harry had years of medical training nothing could have prepared him for what he found when he entered Leo's bedroom. Leo was lying on the bed, his face was ashen white with a sheen of sweat across it, his eyes were glazed over and his mouth was opening and closing like a fish as he tried to take oxygen in. His chest was rising and falling very shallowly and he was wheezing with each breath he took in. Harry leant across and checked Leo's pulse and found it to be extremely fast, he timed it on his watch and that was enough to finalise his decision. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched in a three digit code

"Hello?" he said into the phone "Yeah I need an ambulance please, my friends collapsed and is barely breathing…."

He glanced over at Leo and saw the man was beginning to close his eyes "Leo stay with me" he said gently shaking the man's arm "Stay with me, for Erin's sake stay with me"

The mention of the girl's names was enough for Leo to blearily open his eyes

"Erin" he gasped, Harry could hear his voice was hoarse and it took a lot out of him to say the word

"Don't try to speak, save your breath" Harry said as he told the ambulance the address to go too "She's with Nikki, Erin's fine but you need to stay awake for her…do it for her Leo, don't leave Erin on her own again"

* * *

The ambulance was their immediately and the paramedics wasted no time in transporting Leo downstairs ands out of the house. Harry and Nikki was listening to the medical jargon passed between the two paramedics and though their minds weren't totally focused on what was being said they knew Leo was in a bad way and needed to get medical attention immediately.

"Erin" Harry said coming back into the kitchen where the young girl hadn't moved since Nikki had placed her there "We're going to the hospital now, Leo's going to be fine" he tried to reassure her but still Erin made no reply

Nikki and Harry gently led Erin out of the house and towards the car, she made no sound and she just seemed dazed as she drifted wherever Harry and Nikki led her.

Soon they were at the hospital and the two of them gently led Erin into the warmth of the reception. Erin, being dressed in a thin t-shirt and jeans, wasn't appropriately clothed for the season and as they approached the hospital she started shaking more and more. Nikki wasn't sure if it was form the cold or her bad experiences with hospitals so she took the girl's hand in hers and gently led her into the warmth

"We're here about Leo Dalton" Harry said speaking to the receptionist at the accident and emergency department

The receptionist took the name and typed away at the keyboard "Are you family?" she asked

"No…" Harry began

"It's family only I'm afraid. It's protocol in emergency situations" The receptionist said pursing her lips tightly

"I'm not family" Harry said trying to keep calm "But you see that girl over there, the one who is on the brink of tears, the one who is shaking so violently she can barely put one foot in front of the other…"

"What about her?" the receptionist said clearly missing the point Harry was making "Like I said family only"

"She's his daughter!" Harry hissed

The receptionist started at this revelation "Why didn't you say so?" she said and Harry groaned "The relatives room is down the corridor to the left, I'll let the consultant know you've arrived and he'll speak to you when he has treated Mr Dalton"

"Professor Dalton" Harry corrected as he walked back of to Nikki who was still trying her best to comfort the young girl

"We're to wait in the relative's room till the Doctor comes to speak to us" Harry said as he gently led both Erin and Nikki to the small room down the corridor

"Did they say how he is?" Nikki asked and Harry shook his head, they both turned to Erin but the girl's eyes were firmly fixed on the ground and still she said nothing

* * *

The minutes turned into hours as the three of them waited in the relative's room. Nikki was sat by Erin who was still looking at the floor and Harry was pacing up and down, occasionally glancing up at the door as if to will someone to give them some news

"Will you stop pacing" Nikki tutted as another hour passed

Harry registered Nikki's one and looked up at her "Sorry" he said as he took up the spare seat next to Nikki

"No news is good news" Nikki said to no one in particular and Harry gave her hand a comforting squeeze

The door suddenly clicked open and Harry and Nikki looked up to see a man in scrubs enter, Erin on the other hand kept her gaze on the floor

"Hi sorry for the delay" the man smiled "I'm Doctor Winters and I'm treating Professor Dalton" he held out his hand and Nikki and Harry shook it in turn

"Doctor Nikki Alexander" she said introducing herself "And this is Doctor Harry Cunningham, my fiancé" she said, a small smile playing on her lips as she introduced him

"Ah yes" Doctor Winters nodded "You're the next of kin"

"Really?" Harry and Nikki said in unison and the doctor nodded

"I've been told that his daughter is here" the doctor asked, his eyes falling upon the young girl sitting in the corner who hadn't moved since his arrival

"That would be Erin" she said motioning to the young girl in the corner

"Do you think I could have a quick word outside?" Harry said to the doctor as Nikki resumed her position next to Erin

"Of course" the doctor replied and they stepped outside into the corridor "From what I understand she was the one that found him"

Harry nodded "She called me at work and then we went round to the house and found both of them in a state"

"Did she say why he was like that?" the doctor asked and Harry shook his head

"She's barely said anything. I only just about managed to get her to tell me where he was and apart from that she's said nothing. She's been completely silent since that point onwards"

Doctor Winter's nodded sympathetically "She's probably in shock; it can't have been a nice surprise to find him like that. Are they close?"

Harry nodded "It's quite complicated, actually you should probably know…Erin is his foster daughter"

"I see, how long has he been her primary carer?"

"A month at most, he found her; she'd been sleeping rough for a long time and was not in great health. He sorted her out and got her to the hospital and they developed a close bond. Anyway both her parents are deceased so Leo took on the role of foster parent"

"That's very noble of him" the Doctor smiled

Harry took a deep breath for the next part "She's had a tough time of it; she was abused by her mother and her partner"

"How exactly?"

"Mentally, physically and sexually. There might be more that we don't know about" Harry said and the doctor sighed

"Poor thing" he said sympathetically

"Leo's been the only one to give her stability in her life. I thought you should know about her past and how it impacts on their relationship"

"Thank you" Doctor Winters said "It helps us to know about the patient and lifestyle and it'll help me talk to her a bit more easily if I know where her heads at" and Harry nodded "I'm going to go back in there now and talk to her about it, we'll just keep things calm and steady, if they're as close as you say then I want to keep Erin in the loop"

Harry nodded and the two of them re-entered the room, Nikki stood up and moved towards Harry as Doctor Winters took up the seat next to Erin where Nikki had been previously sitting

"Has she said anything?" Harry asked Nikki quietly

"Not a word" Nikki said looking concerned

"Hi Erin" the Doctor said "I'm Doctor Winters but you can call me Will if you want"

Erin made no reply to this and kept her gaze firmly on the floor, he was undeterred by this as he was used to dealing with people in shock

"Now Erin, I've been treating Leo and looking after him. Do you want to know how he is?"

Erin made no movement or noise that she even acknowledged what the Doctor was telling her. Will frowned but gently kneeled down on the floor so he was facing Erin

"Erin" he said gently "Look at me sweetheart" but she still made no movement "Erin all I want you to do is tip your head up so I can talk to you a bit easier and all I want to do is tell you how Leo is and then if you want me to go, I'll be gone faster than roadrunner, please…just look at me, I'm not that ugly, you wont turn to stone if you look at me, I promise"

Erin slowly lifted her eyes from the ground and as he gazed moved upwards she saw a pair of blue eyes looking back at her

"There we go" Will smiled at her "Good girl, right now we can talk a bit better. Now it must have been a bit of a shock finding Leo like that"

Erin nodded slowly and the Doctor smiled as she started reacting to the things he was saying to her

"That must have been really scary, he didn't look like he normally did, and he was all pale and sweaty. He looked very ill but you were very clever calling Harry like you did, because he knew exactly what to do and you made sure Leo got to the right place where he can get looked after, do you want to know how he is?"

Erin nodded

The Doctor looked up towards Nikki and Harry to show he was addressing the next thing he was going to say to all three of them "He got something which we call Pneumonia do you know what that is?"

Erin shook her head

"It's like a bad chest infection caused by some nasty bacteria and it can make a person feel really sick but on the other hand we can treat it quite easily. Now when you last saw Leo he wasn't very well at all but now you've got him to hospital we've been able to help him get better. He looks a lot better now because we've given him some medication which is going to kill those nasty bacteria and make Leo feel much better and then he can go home to you. He's going to stay with us for a little while until he's all better and then we'll let him go home okay?"

Erin nodded

"Would you like to see him now?"

Erin nodded again  
"I'll take you up to him now" the doctor stood up and held out his hand towards Erin, she took it gently and he led her out of the door, gesturing for Nikki and Harry to follow him

They walked down a maze of corridors, all the time Will was chattering away to Erin to keep her spirits up. They stopped halfway through a busy hospital ward and Will pulled the curtain back to reveal Leo who was lying on the bed

"Now don't be scared by all the equipment" Will said, sensing the girl's reaction "Those lines and wires in him are checking things like his pulse and his oxygen levels and that monitor over there is…"

"…For his heart" Erin said softly and Nikki and Harry at Erin in shock as she spoke for the first time in hours

"That's right" Will smiled "How did you know that?"

"I was in hospital a while ago" she said, her voice barely more than a whisper

Will nodded as he remembered what Harry had told him about Erin's past "Well he's asleep at the moment because the medication we gave him to try and kill of the bacteria makes people drowsy and he'll wake up soon but right now he needs to rest, you can go and sit with him for a bit if you like"

He gave Erin a gentle nudge into the cubicle as he pulled up a stool for her to sit down on. She accepted and sat there with her gaze permanently fixed on Leo's steadily rising and falling chest. Will took Nikki and Harry to one side to explain things further

"We were a bit worried when he came in, he was very dehydrated and his breathing wasn't great. Obviosuly given his age we have to be more cautious when treating pneumonia but he seems to be responding well to treatment"

"When will he be able to go home?" Nikki asked looking back into the cubicle

"A couple of days, I want to make sure he completely stable before he goes home and we need to make the transition from IV medication to oral medication before he can go home. Have any arrangements been made for Erin yet?"

Nikki looked across at Harry who nodded "We can look after her for a bit, she knows us well so its probably easiest"

The doctor nodded "That's good; she probably shouldn't be left on her own for the next couple of days. From what I've seen of her she seems to be in shock, its perfectly understandable as she found Leo like that and after what she's been through, the disrupt to the stable life she's getting used probably knocked her for six"

Harry nodded "We'll keep a close eye on her"

"Does she have a counsellor or someone who can guide her?" Will asked

"As far as I'm aware she has psychologist who she sees on a regular basis, Dan Williams I think his name was" Harry said and Nikki gave a nod to confirm this

"I know him well" Will said registering the name "It's a good idea for him to know what's going on so he can help Erin through this before it gets out of hand. I can put a call through to him if you'd like and see if we can set up an emergency appointment"

Nikki nodded "That would be great"

"Thank you for helping us with Erin" Harry said gratefully

"It's no problem" Will smiled "She seems like a lovely kid and its not easy for anyone to have to go through this, let alone someone who's been through more than her fair share of trouble already"

The three Doctors looked across at Erin who was still sitting on the stool watching Leo intently; they all felt a pang of sympathy as they saw the expression on her face as she watched the man in the bed. She looked utterly lost, more than she ever had been before.


	33. Shattered Illusions

Erin kept vigil at Leo's bedside for the rest of the day, Harry and Nikki took it in turns to stay with her whilst the other one went back to check on the lab. Erin had resumed her silence and still kept her unwavering gaze on Leo.

"Hey" Doctor Winters said coming into the cubicle where Erin was sat along with Nikki "Has she said anything else?" he asked Nikki quietly

Nikki shook her head "She's been sat there since you left, hasn't said a word or even moved her gaze away from Leo"

He sighed softly "I've put a call in to Dan Williams, he's found an empty slot and so he's happy to set an emergency appointment to talk thing through with Erin"

"That's good" Nikki nodded "I don't know how we're going to pull her away from Leo tonight though"

"You'll find a way" Will smiled "And after she's talked things through with Dan, she'll see things much more clearly. Right now she's still panicking from seeing him so ill this morning; she just needs to get her turned her head around the situation"

"I hope your right" Nikki sighed watching the young girl's intent gaze on Leo

At that moment someone stepped into the cubicle behind them "Hi" the voice came and the two adults turned around to see Doctor Dan Williams standing there

"Thanks for doing this" Nikki said gratefully

"It's my job" Dan smiled warmly at her "And it's nice to meet you in person, Erin's told me a lot about you, she sings your praises each time I meet with her"

Nikki shook off the praise and turned her gaze back to Erin who still hadn't moved even with the arrival of Dan

"Hi Erin" Dan said walking over to the young girl "I hear you've had a bit of a day would you like to talk to me about it?"

Erin shook her head

"It might do you some good to go and stretch your legs for a bit, get some fresh air"

Erin shook her head again

"Leo will still be here when you get back and he wouldn't want you just sitting here worrying"

This time Erin made no response

"How about I get Nikki to promise us that if Leo wakes up or something that she'll come and find us immediately and you can come straight back here"

Erin looked across at Nikki

"I promise you that, Erin" she said and Erin nodded as she shakily got up off the stool she had been sitting on and followed Dan out into the ward

"She's so devoted to him" Will said as he watched Erin leave

"I know…" Nikki said "I've not seen her act like this…not since Leo first found her"

"And that worries you?" he asked gently

Nikki nodded and her eyes fell upon Leo as she silently wished he would wake up for her sake and more importantly Erin's.

* * *

Erin and Dan walked along the corridor until they found some empty seats in a quieter part of the ward

"I've been talking to Will and he told me that you were very upset when you came to see Leo, is that right?"

Erin nodded

"He also told me that you weren't talking to anyone, not even Nikki or Harry, is that right as well?"

Erin nodded again

"We've had a little talk and we both think you're in shock which is something that happens when you have to go through a really scary situation like you did this morning. And one of the ways of dealing with shock is to talk it through, so if you want to talk then I'm ready to listen and if you just want to sit here in quietly for a bit then that's fine too but…"

"He looked dead" Erin said suddenly looking up at Dan

"Did that frighten you?"

Erin nodded "I thought he was…" she began but the sentence was left hanging

"Dead?" Dan finished and Erin nodded

"It's all my fault" she said, her voice quivering with emotion

"How so?" Dan asked and that one question opened the floodgates for Erin

"Leo's got pneumonia which is a chest infection and I had a chest infection a little while ago and I clearly gave it to him and now he's really ill" she said all in one breath  
"Okay lets take this one step at a time, he didn't necessarily ill because you had a similar illness a while back and even if he did, well that's not your fault. Germs pass in the air all the time and you cant help passing them to other people. You can't feel guilty about something you can't control"

"But he ended up in hospital"

"Erin, when people get older their immune systems get weaker and it can hit people harder when they're older compared to when they're younger"

"He's really ill"

"He's going to be fine, the doctors said that he's responding really well to treatment and he'll be fine in a couple of days. But what you have to understand is, sometimes people get ill and there's nothing anyone can do about it to stop them getting ill. It's just one of those things I'm afraid but Leo is in hospital where people will make him feel better. And he'll be perfectly fine in a couple of days, you just wait and see"

Erin nodded at what Dan was saying and breathed a sigh and it seemed a weight was lifted from her shoulders

"Do you feel better now?" he asked and she nodded "Let's go back to Leo then and remember Erin, you have nothing to feel guilty about"

* * *

Nikki looked up as Erin re-entered the cubicle and took up her place beside Leo's sleeping form

"Can I have a quick word?" Dan asked Nikki quietly and they stepped away so Erin was out of earshot

"Is she alright?" Nikki asked

Dan nodded "She'll be much better when Leo wakes up though; she was feeling guilty because she's got it in her head that she gave the germs to Leo and that's why he got ill"

Nikki sighed "Is that why she was so upset?"

"Partly" Dan said "I think the other underlying issue is that she's seen that Leo is fallible like all humans are. I think she had the idea that he was this super-human who was resistant to everything and today shattered that illusion and left her feeling very confused and very lost"

"But isn't that a good thing now she doesn't have all these false illusions"

"Yes in a way" Dan agreed "But now she has to face up to the harsher reality which is quite confusing for her. Since she met Leo she's been in this sanctuary where nothing could hurt her and now the reality of the world is seeping through and she's becoming exposed. This is what needs to happen of course but I was hoping to expose her gradually and this came quite suddenly which is a bit of a shock to her"

"What can I do to help her?" Nikki asked

"I was hoping you would say that" Dan smiled "Just reassure her that it will all be fine and if and when she comes to you to talk about it, just be there like you always are to listen to her"

Nikki nodded "Thank you"

"Like I said it's my job and Erin's been through an awful lot and I just want to help her"

"We all do" Nikki said softly "It's whether or not she'll let us now"

"This is going to be quite a turning point" Dan said frowning slightly "We're just going to have to wait and see how she reacts to


	34. The longest night

_Tick....Tock…Tick…Tock_, the sound of the clock reverberated around the still room. Erin sighed as she glanced up and saw the hands were only just reaching the early hours of the morning. She was in Nikki and Harry's living room and had given up on sleep hours ago. They'd come back from the hospital earlier that evening, Nikki and Harry managed to prise her away from Leo's beside with a lot of persuasion and the promise that if Leo woke up then she'd be the first to know about it. It still hadn't put Erin's mind at ease and she couldn't sleep, the room was strange to her and though the sofa where they'd make up a temporary bed wasn't uncomfortable, sleep just wouldn't come to her. She swung her legs off the sofa and walked around the living room which was only illuminated by the pale glow of the moon coming through the window. Eventually she gave up and perched herself on the windowsill and looked up at the night sky, there was of star visible on the night sky, faint from the light pollution of London but just about able to be seen

"Star light, star bright, the first star I see to tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish, I wish tonight" she whispered "Please let Leo get better soon, let him wake up and be alright again, please" she begged

She sighed as the star began to move across the sky and she realised that it was only a plane she'd seen, there were no stars in London tonight and it seemed that her wish would not be granted either.

* * *

Meanwhile in a hospital ward, not too far away, someone in a bed started to stir. Leo blearily opened his eyes and tried to work out where he was

"Professor Dalton?" a voice came and he looked up to see a young doctor checking a machine beside him "Welcome back"

"Where…?" Leo began

"You're in hospital, I'm Doctor Winters and I'm looking after you"

"Erin…" Leo tried to say as he fought off the grogginess that was threatening to consume him

Doctor Winters smiled "…Is fine, she's with Harry and Nikki, they're looking after her for the time being"

Leo sank back into the pillows and fell back into a fitful sleep, as he sank into the realm of drams his thoughts were with Erin and Erin only

* * *

Erin was still sitting on the windowsill when the watery sun appeared in the skyline, her legs with stiff from sitting in the same position for hours on end but she still did not move

"Erin, do you have any idea what the time is?" a voice came from behind her and she turned to see Harry in the doorway stifling a yawn

Erin shrugged and turned her gaze back towards the window

"Have you slept at all?" he asked coming over to her

Erin shook her head; Harry looked out of the window and saw dawn breaking over a grey London morning

"Erin?" Harry said sitting down next to her as he studied the young girl carefully

"I was waiting for the stars" she said finally

Harry smiled relieved that she was talking "Did you wish upon one?"

Erin shook her head "It was only a plane"

Harry gave a small chuckle "Well I'm sure planes have magical wish giving powers as well"

Erin looked scornfully at him "That's just stupid"

"It might well be" Harry said standing back up "But you never know. Try and get some sleep for a couple of hours Erin, you're bordering on exhaustion"

With that he left the room leaving the young girl to stew in her own thoughts

"You took your time" Nikki mumbled sleepily as Harry climbed back into bed

"Erin's awake" Harry said giving Nikki a gentle kiss

"Already?" Nikki yawned

"I don't think she actually went to sleep in the first place, she's too worried about Leo"

"What time is it?" Nikki said pulling the duvet tighter around her

"Just gone three in the morning"

"Oh God…" Nikki groaned and buried her head under the pillow "I thought teenagers were creatures of the night"

"Well this one isn't" Harry said kissing Nikki playfully on her exposed neck

"You're telling me" Nikki mumbled as she drifted back off to sleep

* * *

When Leo opened his eyes once more, the ward was full of life and he could see sunlight streaming through the windows. He gingerly pushed himself up in bed, begin careful not to dislodge the drip the was in his hand

"Ah you're awake" Doctor Winters said coming into the cubicle "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've just gone ten rounds with Amir Khan" Leo chuckled before breaking into a coughing fit

The doctor leant forward and put an oxygen face mask on Leo "You need to take it easy, you're still weak"

"How did I end up here?" Leo said, his voice slightly muffled by the face mask

"You collapsed at home; you've got a nasty bout of pneumonia"

"I felt something coming on but I didn't expect this…"

"You need to look after yourself" the doctor smiled checking Leo's obs. "Or let a certain someone look after you"

"How is Erin?" Leo asked, looking at once concerned

"A little shaken up if I'm honest" Will said turning back to Leo "I think she's still in a bit of shock from finding you in a state of collapse"

Leo groaned "The poor girl, she's been through enough already"

Will shook his head "Professor Dalton…"

"….Please, call me Leo"

"Leo…" Will began "It wasn't your fault and Erin's fine. Harry and Nikki are looking after her and we've set up some emergency sessions with her physiologist. I think the one thing that will get her back on track is seeing you getting better"

Leo nodded "How long have I been out?"

"About twenty four hours" Will said checking his watch "Erin was with you the whole of yesterday, we managed to get her to go home in the evening with a lot of persuasion"

"When can I see her?" he asked immediately

"You need to get some rest" Will warned

"I've been doing that for the last twenty-four hours, I need to see her, if not for my sake then hers" Leo pleaded

Will nodded "Alright, I'll phone them up; I've got Harry and Nikki's phone number. It was part of the deal we made to get Erin to go home to get some rest; I promised I would phone if there was any news"

"Thank you" Leo said gratefully and sank back down into the pillows, hoping that this hadn't damaged his and Erin's relationship too much

**Author's note: Ooh how will Erin react when she's reunited with Leo? I do promise this will start getting a bit happier again in a couple of chapters!**


	35. The truth about life and death

Harry and Nikki walked the maze of corridors in the hospital with Erin dragging a few steps behind them, they had gotten the phone call about Leo this morning and although Nikki and Harry were thrilled, Erin seemed to have retreated into herself once more. They entered Leo's hospital cubicle and were at once relived to see him sitting up and looking a lot better than he had the last time they had seen him

"Leo" Nikki said giving the man a gentle hug "I'm so glad you're alright" she pulled away and he could see the tears sparkling in her eyes

"You gave us a scare" Harry said though the relief on his face was evident

"I'm sorry" Leo apologised "It won't happen again"

"It better not" Harry grinned "Or Erin will give you a hard time"

The three of them looked across at Erin who had said nothing and was looking down at her feet

"We'll go and get a drink" Nikki said liking her arm through Harry's as they left Leo and Erin to talk things through.

As soon as they were left alone, Leo turned his attention to Erin "Erin?" he called softly but she didn't look up at him "Can you come and sit over here?" he motioned to the stool next to his bed

Erin moved over as per his instructions but she still kept her eyes downwards, as soon as she sat down, Leo gently put his hand on her arm; she flinched away from his touch and Leo sighed

"Sorry" he said

"What are you sorry for?" Erin let out a small laugh which sounded to Leo more like a sob

"Scaring you"

"You didn't scare me" she said defensively "I just thought you were…you were…" she stuttered not able to finish her sentence

"I know. But Erin I promise I won't leave you on your own"

"But you will though" Erin looked up at him suddenly and he could see the pained expression on her face "You'll grow old and eventually you'll die and I'll be on my own again"

"That may be true" Leo said choosing his words carefully "But that won't be for a while yet"

"Its still going to happen; you, Nikki and Harry will all go and then I'll be on my own again"

"Not necessarily, by that point you might have a family of your own"

"But you won't be there" she stressed "Everyone leaves eventually…"

"I suppose that's true but that's a very morbid way of looking at things but people always stay in your heart and in that sense they're never really gone"

Erin nodded and sniffed back a few tears "Please don't die yet"

"I'll try my hardest" Leo said with a smile as he gently put his hand on her arm, this time she did not flinch away from his touch but instead took his hand and entwined her fingers in his and gave a small weak smile

"Looks like they go things sorted then" Nikki whispered to Harry as the stepped into the cubicle to see Erin looking less stressed and worried than she had this morning

"Did your mothers not tell you it was rude to whisper?" Leo called across to them as he saw them standing there

"Did your mother ever tell you it was rude to eavesdrop?" Harry grinned as they stepped closer to the bed

The cubicle was suddenly filled with a gentle, relaxed atmosphere and the toll of the last day suddenly took its toll on Erin and she nodded off to sleep

"Thank you for looking after her" Leo said as he watched Erin who was leaning against Harry as a make-shift pillow

"It's no problem" Nikki smiled "You know we don't mind"

"Was she very upset?"

Nikki paused before finally nodding "But it was a natural reaction and she spoke to her psychologist and that seemed to help but seeing you looking better has done the trick"

"She looks exhausted" Leo said and Harry looked down at the young girl who was fast asleep next to him

I don't think she slept last night" Harry said tucking a piece of Erin's hair behind her ear

"She's an early riser" Leo nodded

"You're telling me!" Nikki grinned "She was awake at the crack of dawn according to Harry"

Harry nodded to confirm this "Strange girl" he chuckled

"Would you mind looking after her until I get out of here?" Leo asked and Nikki and Harry nodded

"She can help Nikki sort out some of the wedding stuff"

"Wedding stuff?" Leo asked and Nikki groaned

"And the famous Cunningham discretion works its magic again"

"You two are getting married?" Leo said looking shocked

"Yes" Nikki and Harry said in unison

"Well I don't know what to say…"

"How about congratulations and I'll by you both a drink when I get out of here"

Leo nodded "Yes to the first part but you're pushing your luck on the second part, I'm happy for you, it's about time someone put Harry in his place"

"Thanks very much" Harry said sarcastically

"We've set a date" Nikki grinned "The thirteenth of January"

"But that's less than a month away"

"Well we don't want a lavish occasion, something small with those we care about around us so we won't have that much to arrange" Nikki explained "And we just didn't want to wait" she looked lovingly across at Harry who shifted to put his arm around her

Erin stirred in her sleep "Don't move" she mumbled to Harry "You're comfortable"

"Thanks Erin" he said looking down at the young girl

"Erin, you're going to be staying with Nikki and Harry for a few days until I get out of here, is that okay?"

"Yes" she mumbled twisting and shifting her position to try and get comfortable

"And you'll be good for them?"

"Yes"

"And you'll stop worrying?"

"Yes" she said sitting up straighter, now having decided that Harry wasn't as comfortable as she first thought

"Good girl, by the way does Janet know I'm here?" Leo asked as the thought dawned on him "I'm meant to be meeting up for drinks with her tomorrow"

"We'll call her and explain" Nikki assured Leo who nodded gratefully

"We better leave you to get some rest" Harry said glancing at his watch and registering the tried look on Leo's face

Erin looked across at Leo fearfully "You can't stay here all day Erin, you'll get bored" he said gently

"I won't" she protested but Leo shook his head

"I won't be much company when I'm asleep…." He said but she shook her head again

"I need some help on my wedding preparations Erin" Nikki coaxed

"There you go" Leo nodded towards Nikki "She needs your help"

"No" Erin shook her head wildly and held onto Leo's hand tighter

"Erin, we can come back and see him first thing tomorrow" Nikki said trying to persuade the young girl. She looked to Harry for help, who nodded and turned towards Erin.

"Come on Erin" Harry said standing up and pulling her up with him "Our company is much better than that old codger there" Harry grinned

"What happened to respect your elders" Leo chuckled

"I didn't realise the term elders extended back to those who came from the dawn of time"

"You'll pay for that when I get back to the lab, I think you should get all the decomposing corpses for at lest the next three years"

"I'm going" Harry grinned taking Erin along with him so she couldn't go back to Leo

"Take care Leo" Nikki said giving him a kiss in the cheek "We'll take care of Erin"

Leo nodded "I know you will, I wouldn't trust anyone else" he smiled as he watched them leave and exit the ward with Harry and Nikki trying to distract Erin with different topics of conversation so she wouldn't worry so much about him

"You're looking better" Doctor Winters said coming walking into the cubicle "I see that a certain visitor cheered you up" Leo nodded "How was Erin?"

Leo sighed "Fine I think, she seems to be starting to become a little clingy which worries me"

The doctor shook his head "I'm sure it's a phase which will pass once you're up and about again"

"I hope so" Leo said looking worried "I really hope so"


	36. Distress and the perfect dress

Harry walked into the living room later that evening and sighed. He'd been called out to examine a body that had been found in a field and although they were both still very worried about Erin, they knew they'd had to do their jobs still. He'd left a very unsettled Erin with Nikki and a couple of hours had passed since he'd gone and it looked like the situation still hadn't resolved itself. Erin was sitting in the corner of the room with her knees pulled up tight to her chin and her face buried in her folded arms; she was gently rocking back and forth making small whimpering noises with each rock

"She's been like that for the last hour" Nikki said walking into the room behind Harry who nodded sadly "Do you think we should phone Dan Williams?"

"Let me try talking to her first" Harry said moving over to the corner where Erin was sitting, he sat down next to her leaning his back against the wall "Erin…" he said but the girl seemed to start rocking faster

He gently but firmly put a hand on her knees to stop her rocking but this just made the whimpering noises worse

"Erin, look at me" he said but she buried her head further into her arms "Alright then listen to me, I know you're scared and I know you just want to be with Leo but you can't stay at the hospital all day until he's better.

"I can" she murmured "I want to"

"I know you do" he said gently to her, glad that he was getting somewhere "But it's just not possible right now"

Erin let out a wail and was about to start rocking again before Harry stopped her

"I know all you want is Leo right now but I'm afraid you've only got me and Nikki as company at the moment so we have to try and make the best of things. Leo's getting better and you'll be home in a couple of days but for now you're just going to have to stick it out"

He heard her let out a small sob and he put his arms around her, she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest,

"There we go" he soothed "You've had a rough time of it recently and I promise you things can and will only get better from here. I can't imagine how frightening the last couple of days have been for you but you have to be really brave and just stick it out. Just take tings one step at a time and let everything else sort it out okay?"

"Okay…" she said softly

"Good girl" Harry smiled "Now would you like something to eat. I promise Nikki wont be cooking so at least you wont have food poisoning to worry about" he looked up at Nikki who was trying to look offended whilst stifling a laugh

"This from someone who can only cook pasta in several thousand different ways"

"That's more than you can do" he grinned "Don't listen to her Erin, she's just jealous of my culinary expertise"

"Of course" Nikki said rolling her eyes as Harry helped Erin to her feet "Erin lets leave the 'chef' to it, I've got some bridal magazines I want to show you" she said taking the young girls hand and leading her over to the sofa before the girl had time to even think about what was happening

* * *

As Harry worked in the kitchen he could hear Nikki and Erin gently chattering away. The tears on Erin's face had dried and Nikki had successfully distracted her away from her thoughts about missing Leo

"Nikki" he called "Have you phoned Janet yet?"

"No" came the reply "You can do it"

"Thanks very much Nikki" he said shaking his head as he punched in the digits of the number Leo had left him

"_Hello?"_ came the voice

"Hi Janet, its Harry Cunningham"

"_Harry, how are you?"_

"Good thanks, look I need to speak to you about Leo"

There was a sigh _"Please don't tell me he's getting you to stand me up"_

"Not exactly but he is going to have to stand you up for the drinks you'd arranged"

"_Is everything okay?" _

"Leo's in hospital…"

"_What happened? Is he Okay?" _the shock in Janet's voice was evident

"He's fine, he collapsed at home with pneumonia but he'll be fine in a couple of days. They're keeping him in for a couple of days for observations" he reassured her

"_Right…"_ Janet said trying to take what Harry was saying in _"How's Erin?"_

"She's a little shaken up by the whole experience but she's staying with me and Nikki until Leo recovers"

"_Tell her I'm thinking of her"_ Janet said

"Will do, I think Leo wouldn't mind seeing an extra friendly face" Harry said giving Janet details of the ward that Leo was on

"_Thank you Harry, I appreciate being kept in the loop" _

"Well you are Leo's extra special lady friend and more, as Erin likes to put it"

He heard Janet laugh _"Well that's a new title I can add to the list. Look I better go, I've got a meeting I have to go to in five minutes Take care Harry"_

"You too" he said as the call ended

He turned back to his cooking and sighed as he saw that it was totally and utterly burned to a crisp

* * *

"What do you think of that one?" Nikki said passing a glossy page to Erin

The young girl studied the picture of the dress carefully "Honestly?" she said and Nikki nodded "The top half is nice but the bottom half has way too many layers of fabric and will just make your bottom stick out"

Nikki laughed, Erin had perked up a lot and was now helping Nikki find her ideal wedding dress although the proves was a lot trickier than Nikki had ever thought

"I just can't decide" Nikki sighed "I can't find a dress that is perfect" she said picking up another magazine

Erin looked up at Nikki and smiled "Describe it to me, she said picking up a scrap of paper from the table and a pen

"Well…" Nikki began "It would be white, I'm quite traditional on that front, Full length with a flowing bottom half and a fitted bodice. Then it would have these little sleeves that you wear off the shoulder slightly and the whole dress would be embroidered down one side with little white flowers, probably roses for love" She smiled

"It sounds lovely" Erin agreed

"Shame it doesn't exist" Nikki sighed

"Oh really?" Erin said passing the scrap of paper she had been doodling on to Nikki she gasped

There in the paper was a sketch of the dress Nikki had just described to her in perfect detail

"Erin, its beautiful" she grinned

"I could make it you know" Erin said as she studied the drawing carefully

"Really?" Nikki said looking at the young girl and back towards the drawing "It looks awfully complicated"

Erin shook her head "No really, the design of the dress would be very simple; the only thing that would take time would be the decoration"

"How do you know all this?" Nikki asked, the amazement in her voice showing

Erin shrugged "I took textiles at school and I used to practise a lot at home. Mum didn't like spending any money on me if she could help it so I just used to sew stuff myself. I've made a couple of dresses before so this shouldn't be too hard"

"Do you still have them?"

Erin shook her head "Mum ripped them up when she found them. She used to destroy my stuff when she was in a temper" Erin's voice broke as she recalled the painful memory

"I couldn't ask you to do this Erin"

"Yes you could" Erin gave a weak smile "I'm not starting school until after the Christmas holidays and it would keep me busy and it's the least I could do to say thank you for everything"

"If you're sure?" Nikki said and Erin nodded enthusiastically "Thank you Erin, I just know that it will be a perfect wedding now"

"What's all this?" Harry said coming into the room

"Erin's going to make my wedding dress. It turns out she's a talented seamstress"

"Hidden depths" Harry grinned as the doorbell went

"Who's that?" Nikki said and Erin shrugged

Harry came back into the room holding a pizza box and looking sheepish "I might have slightly burnt dinner"

Nikki laughed "I feel there is an unsaid I told you so here" and Harry shook his head

"See what I have to put up with" he said to Erin who laughed

He smiled at the young girl who was looking much happier than she had in days and he was glad that he had played a part on getting Erin back on track. He had to admit, since Erin had turned up in the car park, he'd come quite attached to the girl and didn't like seeing her upset at all.

**Author's note: Thanks to Lilypad1 for reminding me about Janet, I actually forgot about her, which is awful of me and for her idea about Nikki's wedding dress. Ideas are much appreciated and credit is given where due so if you wan to see anything specific just drop me a note and I'll see what I can do :)**


	37. Time to give something back

Leo was lying in his hospital bed feeling slightly drowsy when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked up and saw Harry standing there with a grin on his face

"Falling asleep in the middle of the day? Now that is a sign of old age"

Leo rolled his eyes "It's the medication"

"Of course" Harry nodded sincerely "You just keep telling yourself that" He sat down on a stool beside Leo's bed and passed him a sheet of paper "This is from Erin" he said

Leo took the paper and stared intently at it. It was another of Erin's drawings with a small sketch of Teresa and Cassie on it that she'd copied from the photo he had in his house. He swallowed a lump of emotion in his throat and turned to Harry who smiled

"She didn't want you to get lonely" he informed the older man who sighed gently

"I don't know what I'd do without her"

"She's probably asking the same question. But don't worry; Nikki's districted her well enough. Did you know Erin was a talented seamstress in a past life?"

Leo chuckled "That girl never fails to amaze me" and Harry smiled pleased to see Leo in better spirits

Both men looked up as Doctor Winters walked into the cubicle "Just doing my rounds" he said walking over to the bed

"I'd better be off" Harry said "Someone's got to be at the lab to keep an eye on the place"

Leo nodded his thanks and Harry left. Doctor Winters looked down at the piece of paper on Leo's bed

"Who's the talented artist then?" he asked

Leo picked up the paper "That would be Erin" he said proudly

"She's got real talent" he said studying the picture "Not many people can draw like this" Leo made a noise of agreement "Anyway, your latest test results have come back clear so all we have to do now is wean you off the IV medication and we can send you home"

"How soon?" Leo asked sounding hopeful

"As soon as tomorrow afternoon" he said and Leo smiled broadly "I thought that might cheer you up. We'll have you back on your feet in no time"

"Thank you" Leo said feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders

* * *

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Nikki said as Erin took Nikki's measurements for her dress

"Yes" Erin sighed loudly as she made a note down on a piece of paper "And don't worry I wont tell anyone your size"

Nikki shook her head "Do you think you'll have the time to make it?, the wedding is only a few weeks away after all"

Erin nodded as she moved the tape measure again "I said I'd get it done and I will"

"Well that's the dress off my list since you've got that covered; the flowers were ordered this morning"

"Roses" Erin said and Nikki nodded "For love"

"And Harry said he's looking into a venue…" Nikki went along ticking off all the things she had or hadn't done yet "Ah!" she said suddenly "There's one thing we've overlooked"

"What's that?" Erin said looking up at Nikki for her position on the floor

"Bridesmaids" Nikki smiled "What do you think?"

"What do I think about what?" Erin mumbled

"About being my bridesmaid?"

Erin's jaw dropped in shock "You want me to be your bridesmaid?" Nikki nodded "But don't you want someone you know better?"

Nikki shook her head "If there's one person I want with me up the aisle, apart from Harry of course, then it's you"

"Really?"

"Yes, so what do you say?"

"Okay…" Erin said breaking into a smile which Nikki reflected perfectly

"Of course we'll need to design you a dress" Nikki said picking up a spare piece of paper and scribbling on it "What do you think of that?"

"It's good" Erin said glancing down at the sketch

"It's not as good as your drawing skills but I can imagine you in that dress. I had one a bit like it when I was about your age and I think it will look perfect on you"

"Well you know more about it than I do" Erin said taking down another measurement and making a small calculation

Nikki glanced at the calendar on the wall "It's the thirteenth of December, my wedding day is in exactly a month"

Erin smiled at Nikki's enthusiasm "Done" she said standing up

"Thank you Erin" Nikki said "I got the material from the shop today" she said passing Erin a small carrier bag of material

The young girl peeked inside and saw the white fabric piled inside "It's going to look perfect on you"

"Does Leo even have a sewing machine?" Nikki said suddenly

Erin shook his head "No, but I saw one in a second hand shop for a reasonable price and I think I have just about enough money. I'd like to get backing into sewing again, it's been so long since I've done it…" she said stroking the fabric wistfully "…Such a long time"

"I bet you missed it"

Erin nodded "More than I thought I did…" she shook her head to get rid of the memory she was travelling to "Anyway are you going to have a veil with your dress?"

"I'm not sure" Nikki said pondered the thought carefully "I think so…"

"Consider it done"

"Oh Erin, I couldn't ask you to do that on top of everything else"

"Yes you can" Erin smiled "You've done enough for me already, you Leo and Harry. It's time I started giving something back to you all" she smiled to herself as she continued to make a couple more calculations to tweak Nikki's dress to make it perfect.


	38. A night to remember

Leo smiled as his settled himself down into his own bed, he'd been released earlier from hospital that day and he had to admit he'd never been happier to be home. As he turned out the light, he caught sight of the drawing that Erin had done of Teresa and Cassie, he had to admit that he didn't know her talent stretched that far; he knew she was good but this picture was something else, she had truly captured the essence and character of the pair. He fell into a deep sleep, catching up on the much needed rest that wouldn't be interrupted by doctor's and nurses prodding and poking him every half an hour. The sleep consumed him and he only awoke when he felt someone's presence in the room, he blearily opened his eyes and saw a figure standing next to his bed

"Erin?" he said sleepily "What are you doing?"

"Nothing…" she said

"It's half past two in the morning, what are you doing standing over me?"

She paused before answering "Checking you're still alive"

Leo frowned "Yes thank you Erin" he said slowly "I'm still alive"

"Are you sure?" she said and he could hear the seriousness in her voice

"Yes I am sure I am still alive"

"Oh Good" she said

"Now go back to bed" he said turning back over as he heard Erin leave his room

* * *

"Are you awake?" Nikki rolled over and looked at Harry, squinting to make out his face in the dark

"No" he grunted and rolled over

She sighed and leant over him prising open his eyelids with her fingers "Are you sure?"

"Ow!" Harry winced "I'm awake" he said sitting up

"We're getting married in less than a month" she informed him

"And you couldn't wait till morning to tell me that?" He sighed

"No" she said apologetically

"It's three in the morning" Harry groaned

"I know, I can tell the time" she said

"Ah well you see I thought you couldn't since you insist on waking me up at this ridiculous hour"

Nikki ignored his comment "I'm glad Leo's better"

"I think Erin is as well" Harry mumbled sleepily as he rolled over

Nikki sighed loudly as she pinched Harry sharply on the arm "Stop falling asleep"

"Ow" he winced "Nikki it's the middle of the night…"

"…Technically it's morning" Nikki corrected him

"Nikki, its ridiculously early in the morning what am I meant to do apart from sleep"

"Talk to me" Nikki said incredulously

"Talk to you" he said as he pushed himself up into a sitting position "What do you want to talk about?"

"I love you" she said as she kissed him gently on the lips

"I love you too Nikki but I can't believe that you would get me up at this time to tell me that"

Nikki sighed, he could read her to well "I'm late"

"Lat for what?" Harry asked

"What do you think?" she sighed, Harry was not getting the hint and was looking at her blankly "Women's stuff"

"Oh" Harry said now sounding fully awake "When did you realise?"

"When I was talking to Erin about the date, I looked at the calendar and realised"

"How late are you?"

Nikki shrugged "I'm not sure…"

"Have you done a test?" she shook her head "Well there's only one way to find out"

"It's half past two in the morning where are we going to find a chemist open at this time" she sighed

"Leave it with me" he said as he climbed out of bed pulling on the first articles of clothing that he could find "Neither of us are going to get any sleep until we know for certain"

Nikki nodded and laid back in the bed as Harry made his way out of the house and into the early December morning

* * *

Erin tossed and turned in bed unable to get any sleep, as she twisted to try and get comfortable she wrapped the duvet further and further around her until she fell off the bed with a thump

"Ow" she muttered rubbing her head which had collided with the floor; she glanced at the clock on the wall which read four in the morning, her usual time for getting up.

She pulled herself up and looked out of the door, Leo's door was shut again but she still wanted to make sure, she didn't want to wake him up again but she was far too worried about him. She frowned in thought and then an idea struck her, she gathered up her duvet and crept out of her room careful not to make a sound

* * *

Nikki glanced at the clock, the hands read half past four in the morning, and Harry had been gone a grand total of one hour, thirty minutes and twenty seconds. She sighed as she wrapped herself further into the duvet. The door clicked open and in walked Harry swinging a plastic bag

"You took your time" she said but looked relieved to see him back

"There are very few twenty-four hour chemist stores around here" he sighed "And I got very strange looks asking for pregnancy tests"

Nikki giggled as she opened the bad and pulled out the box "Well I guess I should do this"

"I think so too" Harry said kissing her on the cheek

"There's only one problem" she sighed

"What's that?"

"I don't need the toilet" She said sheepishly Harry groaned as he fell back onto the bed

* * *

Leo groaned as he turned over and was greeted by the glare of the winter sun peeking through the curtains. He pulled himself out of bed feeling better than he had in days but still sleepy thanks to Erin waking him up early. He made his way out of his room yawning widely. His foot collided with something and he fell to the floor

"Ow!" Came a voice

Leo picked himself up and turned to see what he had fallen over. A cross looking Erin was peeking out from the duvet which she had wrapped herself in

"What are you doing?" he asked "And why are you camping outside my room?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alright" she said

"Like I said to you very early this morning, I am fine and am still alive" Leo signed

"Ok good" Erin smiled and shuffled back off to her room

Leo shook his head and wondered if he had just been dreaming or if the medication he was taking was stronger than he first thought

* * *

"How about now?" Harry asked and Nikki shook her head "You've just drunk twenty glasses of water, how do you not need the toilet? He sighed "Give me your hand"

"What?" Nikki said as she took another gulp of water

"Just give me your hand" he sighed as he pulled her hand and ran it under warm water "If this doesn't make you go then we're stuck"

"Harry this is the most stupid…" Nikki began "…Harry past me the test now!" she said as she dashed off to the bathroom

"Works every time" Harry grinned as he heard Nikki swearing as she tripped over something on her mad dash to the bathroom

A few minutes later Nikki remerged holding the test "How long do we leave it for?" she asked him

Harry checked the box and the instructions "A couple of minutes. Are you sure you did it right?"

"Harry I can pee on a stick" Nikki sighed

The two of the waited in silence, both watching the clock hands as it made it's way round

"It's time" Nikki said after a few minutes

She and Harry leaned over the test and Nikki breathed in sharply as she saw the result

"You're pregnant" Harry said sitting down quickly onto a chair

"Yeah…" Nikki said joining him

"This is…" Harry said trying to find the right word to finish his sentence

"…huge" Nikki said looking at Harry

"Thanks" he grinned looking down

"Not that you disgusting man" Nikki shook her head "Harry we're having a baby"

"I know…" he grinned "And it's fantastic"

Nikki broke into a smile as Harry swept her off her feet and into a hug and the two of the fell into a deep kiss, only breaking apart for air. Nikki grinned as Harry placed a hand on her stomach, both of them knew nothing would show for a couple of months but already their child was starting to develop and the two of them were sure they could feel it.


	39. First day fears

December soon rolled into January without any trouble. As predicted Erin had stopped becoming so clingy to Leo and now camping outside his room only seemed to be a rare occurrence. Leo's car pulled up outside the school gates and he turned to a nervous looking Erin who was sitting beside him

"Are you alright?" he asked gently

"Yes I'm fine" she gave him a false smile which didn't quite reach her eyes

"You don't have to do this you know…"

"I said I'm fine, come on lets go" she got out of the car before Leo could utter another word

The two of them walked into the school and across to where the school reception was. Erin clutched her new school bag nervously as she followed Leo into the warmth of the building. Today was Erin's first day at Park Lane School and to say she was nervous was a huge understatement

"You must be Erin" a man came up to the pair and introduced himself "Hello, I'm Mr Matthews. I am your new head teacher" he held out his hand to Erin who shook it shyly

He introduced himself to Leo and the three of them went into his office, to 'discuss the finer details' as he had put it

"Now Erin" Mr Matthews said as he seated himself in the chair across the desk from them "I know you've not had the easiest time of late and I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you. But I want you to feel safe and happy here, now I know some of what you've been through" he said placing a hand on a file "And I have your school records here; I must say you've done quite well for yourself considering what you've had to go through"

"Thank you" Erin said softly and Leo gave her hand a gentle squeeze

"So you'll be joining our sixth form in lower sixth and this is your timetable" he said passing a sheet of paper to Erin "And this is a map of the school, I don't think you'll get lost, the school is quite small but just in case"

There was a knock at the door suddenly "Come in" Mr Matthews called and a young boy about Erin's age stepped into the room, he had messy brown hair and dark brown eyes "Ah perfect timing" the head teacher smiled "This is Nathaniel…"

"…Nate" the boy corrected with a lop sided grin

"Sorry Nate" the head teacher smiled "And he'll be showing you round for the first week or so. He'll help you find everything and introduce you to a few people"

"Okay" Erin said shyly as the boy grinned at her

"Right Nate it's nearly break time so why don't you give Erin a quick tour and then show her to her next lesson"

"Have a good day" Leo smiled at Erin as she left the office followed by the young boy

* * *

"So I'm Nathaniel like he said, well Nate actually, and I will be your humble guide" He said

"I'm Erin" she said introducing herself properly "And I guess you cant really shorten that" she blushed and he laughed gently as they passed a couple of teachers

"So what do you think of old Matthews?" Nate said as soon as they were out of earshot of any teachers

"He's alright" Erin said shyly

"Yeah" Nate agreed "He's not got such a stick up his arse like other teachers"

Erin let out a small laugh at his crudeness and was rewarded with one of Nate's warm grins "So was that guy in there your dad?" he said as they turned down another corridor

"You mean Leo?" Erin said "No he's my foster dad, my parents are...um not around"

"Ah" Nate said taking the hint "That must suck, my mum and dad split up when I was eight, my dad lives all the way over in California"

"That must be hard" Erin said sympathetically

"Yeah, well what can I say, men are useless" he laughed "So what subjects are you taking?"

"Fine art, unendorsed art, English literature and biology" she said reading off the sheet as Nate peered over her shoulder

"I'm in the same class as you for that one" he said pointing at her unendorsed art class "And that one" he said pointing at her biology class "And I know a couple of people who are in the other two classes" he said as they walked through a pair of double doors into a small room filled with chairs and tables "This is our common room" he said "I know it's not much but still it beats hanging outside in the freezing cold playground"

"Hey Nate" a girl called "Who's your girlfriend"

Nate shook his head "Shut up" he called to the girl "Erin just ignore her, she suffers from verbal diarrhoea"

"Says the one who got detention only yesterday for talking in class when he'd been told to shut up at least twelve times" the girl grinned flicking a strand of blonde hair out of her face

"Whatever Stella" he said sitting down beside her and pulling up a chair for Erin "Be nice to Erin, she's a newbie"

"Well stick with us and you'll be fine" Stella smiled at her

"Stella's in your English literature class" he informed her

"For all the good it's doing me" she moaned "If I have to study one more word of Chaucer I might go mad"

"Is it that bad?" Erin asked nervously

"You want some advice?" Erin nodded

"Run away while you still can" she sighed loudly

"Stop scaring her" Nate grinned

They chatted for a while longer until the room started to flood with people "Come on Erin let's get out of here before the room overflows" he said pulling her out of the room

"See you around Erin" Stella shouted after her

* * *

Nate showed Erin through a maze of corridors and building until they stopped outside of a small classroom which had a few people inside

"This is your new art class" he said gently pushing her inside "A whole fun hour of unendorsed art awaits"

Erin walked into the classroom and felt all eyes turn on her suddenly. She flushed bright red and a few people turned to whisper to their neighbours and Erin had a sinking feeling that she was the topic of conversation. She sat in an empty seat next to Nate and kept her eyes on the floor so as not to attract any unnecessary attention

"It appears we have a new member" a voice said and she looked up to see a fairly young man standing in front of her, smiling warmly at her "You must be Erin Jones, I'm Mr Peters your new art teacher and I assume Nate has been filling you in on the details"

"Yeah" Nate flashed Erin one of his signature smiles

"Maybe Erin can keep you in line Nathaniel" the teacher scolded but the smile on his face said otherwise "That artwork wont finish itself now, will it?"

"No Sir" Nate said as he got off the stool and padded away to the other side of the classroom

"Now Erin, you've got about a term's work to catch up on but don't worry I don't think you'll be too far behind and we have after school catch up sessions which I can be of service. So today the class is working on some observational drawing" he said putting a blank sheet of paper in front of her "So just give it a go and we'll see where we go from there"

Erin nodded taking in all the details he was telling her and soon set about sketching the vase of flowers he put in front of her. As she worked she could hear more whispers floating around and she could still feel people's eyes on her. Nate came and sat back down beside her and watched her work for a few minutes before turning back to his own work

"Don't worry about all those lot" he said motioning to the rest of the lass "They're just interested that we've got someone new"

"Oh" Erin said flicking a strand of hair out of her eyes

"I heard the teacher say that you've been out of school for a term. How come he asked?" Erin hesitated in her answer and Nate sensed this immediately "Sorry, I'm sticking my big nose in again aren't I? He said apologetically

"It's fine" Erin shook off the apology "My mum died recently" she said wrinkling her nose at the memory "And I've been trying to sort out staying with Leo and stuff and it just took ages"

"Oh cool" Nate said "But if I ever stick my nose in to a private matter just tell me to mind my own business or tell Stella and she'll kick my arse for you"

Erin burst out laughing at this point and Nate smiled once more; he liked Erin she was easy to get along with and she didn't ask awkward questions about his own dad. She understood what it felt like to be lonely and knew that there were some things a person would keep to themselves. He liked Erin a lot and suddenly felt very protective of her and resolved to stop these whisperings about her. There was a rumour going round that the new girl's mum had been murdered by a dangerous criminal and that her mum was a prostitute and a drug dealer all in one. He was going to make sure she didn't have to hear those rumours, whether or not they were true was another issues but he sensed Erin had gone through a lot recently and wanted to protect her

"How are you two getting on?" the teacher came up to them pulling Nate out of his thoughts "Nate you're making good progress" Mr Peters said studying his work "Erin…" he paused as he surveyed her work

"Whoa…" Nate said as he craned his neck to see the paper "That's amazing" he breathed

"It's nothing" Erin said modestly

"Now Erin, don't be so humble" Mr Peters smiled warmly at her "You've got a real talent there. I had heard something about you being a very talented young arist" he informed her

Erin fumbled in her bad and pulled out a small sketchbook "That's not my best sketch" she pointed to the sketch of the flowers she'd been drawing

"May I?" he said gesturing to her sketchbook and Erin nodded

Mr Peters opened the sketchbook carefully and flicked through the pages. Each of the drawings were in pencil but sketched with such detail and precision, they were nothing like he had ever seen before

"You did these Erin?" he asked and she nodded "They are fantastic" and the young girl blushed at the praise "If this is what you can do in unendorsed art class I can't imagine what you'll do in my fine art class"

"Mr Peters teaches both classes" Nate told her as he gawped at her pictures "He's like the god of art teachers, his presence is everywhere"

"And you'd do well to remember it" Mr Peters teased as he glanced at his watch "Right class, it's time to pack away" he passed the sketchbook back to Erin "And as for you Miss Jones, I think you have a very special talent that needs nurturing and I hope that this art department can be of service" he smiled as he turned to hurry the rest of the class

"You never told me you could draw like that. You have hidden depths Erin Jones"

"Harry said that too" she said as she packed her belongings away

"Who's Harry?"

"My friend, well actually he's more Leo's friend. Leo, Harry and his fiancée Nikki work together at the lab"

"They're scientists?"

"Pathologists" she corrected

"As in they cut up dead people?" he asked raising his eyebrows and Erin nodded

"Yeah I found it a bit weird at first too" she admitted "But you get used to it" she assured him as they left the classroom

Mr Peters watched the two of them leave, he knew all about Erin's past, the head teacher thought it best that her teachers knew so they could handle her better. He had also heard the rumours flying about though he was careful to ignore them. Meeting Erin today had opened his eyes; she seemed shy but also very happy and more self-assured than that which had first been made out to him. He knew that Nate would take care of her and maybe that she would be a good influence on him. Others avoided Nate as they saw him as 'weird' but Erin and Nate seemed to be on the same wave length and she was already bring out something good in him. Mr Peter's ran a hand through his hair; Erin Jones had certainly made an impact on Park Lane School and it had only been her first lesson

**Author's note: I know some of you are eagerly awaiting the wedding of the year! But I just had to write this chapter first. The next chapter will be Nikki and Harry's hen and stag party and then the wedding comes! *squeal* **


	40. The night before the big day

Nikki walked into the lab which a huge grin on her face; lately she couldn't help but smile and today was no exception, it was the twelfth of January and tomorrow she would be getting married

"What are you so happy about?" he said glancing up as Nikki walked over to him

"Nothing" she said kissing him gently on the lips

He placed a hand on her stomach and smiled "Our little secret"

"I booked an appointment to see how far I am along" Nikki whispered and Harry nodded

"Nikki" a voice called and she looked up to see Leo poking his head out of the office "If I can drag your attention away for five minutes"

She gave Harry a loving look and followed Leo into his office and sat down on the chair he offered her

"I must say I'm very impressed you and Harry sorted this wedding out so quickly" he smiled warmly at her

"Well a lot of it is down to Erin; she's made the dress…"

Leo nodded "She finished it last night, she's bringing it round to yours this evening, are you still alright for picking her up after school; I don't think she knows the way from school to your place"

Nikki nodded and smiled as she remembered the plan; she would pick Erin up from school and take her back home and later that evening they would be joined by those invited to Nikki's hen do

"And are you looking forward to Harry's stag do as his best man?" Nikki asked recalling the thrill on Leo's face when Harry had asked him to be his best man

Leo chuckled "I think I'm too old for this"

Nikki shook her head "You're never too old, but promise me you'll make sure Harry comes back in one piece"

"I promise" he said as Nikki walked out of his office and back into the lab

* * *

Erin walked out of the school building on Friday along with Stella and Nate, her first week at school was over and she felt it had gone well. She had warmed to Stella a lot and the two of them helped each other in English; Erin didn't ever think she could warm to another female apart from Nikki but Stella seemed to understand her and had a sharp sense of humour that was usually thrown in Nate's direction. As for Nate, Erin and himself had formed a strong bond between themselves; he looked out for her whilst she was always there with a sympathetic ear and wise words of advice. Stella said her goodbyes as she took another path out of school leaving Nate and Erin together

"Thanks for looking after me this week" she smiled

He shrugged "What are friends for"

Erin gave him a warm smile which was returned by his usual lop sided grin. They got through the school gates and as Erin looked up she saw Nikki waiting for her on the corner

"I guess that's my ride" she smiled

"Hey" Nikki greeted the pair

"Nikki this is Nate" she said introducing the boy to Nikki "And Nate this is Nikki"

"Hi" Nate smiled as he glanced around "That's my ride" he rolled his eyes "I'd better go before mum throttles me"

"Bye" Erin

"See you tomorrow Erin and it was nice to meet you Nikki" he called as he dashed off to the car he had been looking for

"Are you ready?" Nikki asked Erin as they got into the car

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Erin grinned as Nikki pulled away from the school

Nikki smiled to herself, Erin seemed so much more confident and it was clear that being around people her own age was doing wonder for her

"Are you enjoying school then?" Nikki asked and Erin nodded enthusiastically "And that boy…"

"…Nate" Erin said quickly with a coy smile "Yeah, he's been showing me around this week. He's in a couple of my classes as well"  
"I see" Nikki nodded

"It's not like that!" Erin squeaked registering where Nikki was going with the conversation

"Of course not" Nikki said trying to hide a smile "But a word of advice; don't live in denial forever"

Erin shook her head "It's nothing like that at all, we're just friends"

"Who said I was talking about Nate?" Nikki teased "You never know one day, it might be you preparing for your wedding"

Erin pulled a face "I am never getting married" she said wrinkling her nose at the idea which made Nikki laugh

"I'll remind you of that when you're older" she chuckled "Anyway; you know the plan for this weekend?"

Erin nodded, Leo had told her many times over "We're going to get my stuff and I'm staying over at your place tonight whilst you have your party and then I'm helping you get ready for the wedding tomorrow and we're going to meet Harry and Leo at the church"

Nikki nodded "That is correct, now I can't wait to see my dress"

Erin broke into a wide grin "You're going to love it"

* * *

"So what have you actually organised for my stag do?" Harry asked as him and Leo left the lab

"Harry it's hardly going to be a surprise if I tell you" Leo rolled his eyes

"I'm guessing Nikki gave you strict guidelines to adhere to?" Harry chuckled as Leo nodded

"She's holding me personally responsible if anything happens to you" Leo smiled as Harry sighed dramatically

"She's got me under the thumb already" he moaned but the grin on his face told Leo he was only joking

* * *

Nikki carefully opened the bag that held her wedding dress, as she peered inside she gasped as she cast an eye over the garment

"Erin, it's beautiful" she said hanging it up so it wouldn't get creased

"Do you think so?" Erin said beaming at Nikki's praise

"It's a hundred times better than the ones we looked at in the magazines" Nikki breathed not taking her eyes off the dress "It looks so professional"

"It's not perfect…" Erin said modestly

"I think it is" Nikki said giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze "Did you finish your bridesmaid dress?"

Erin nodded and handed the second bag to Nikki who carefully took out the contents "Oh this is going to look perfect on you" Nikki smiled as she held it up against Erin "You're so good with your hands to make all of this"

"I don't know where I get it from" Erin sighed "I don't think either of my parents were at all creative…"

"Well that's good" Nikki nodded firmly "Because this is a talent you can credit all to yourself" Erin smiled at Nikki's words "Now come on" Nikki grinned "Come and help me set up"

* * *

Harry and Leo were sat in the pub, engaging in a drinking session. Harry was glad it was just him and Leo there, after all Nikki and Harry had only wanted a small intimate wedding and they only wanted the people who mattered to them most to be there

"Are you nervous?" Leo asked Harry as he took a sip of his pint

Harry nodded "I just want to make the day perfect for Nikki"

"And you will" Leo assured him

"I think your Erin helped a lot with that one" Harry smiled

Leo nodded "Her talents seem endless and it was nice to see her bond with Nikki"

"Nikki, will make a great mum" Harry smiled

"Harry…" Leo said suddenly "You've got that look in your eye"

"Which one?" He asked innocently

"The one where you've clearly got a secret but want to tell it to the world"

"I don't know what you mean" Harry said looking down into his pint

"Is Nikki…" Leo asked carefully "Is she pregnant?"

Harry spluttered into his drink "How did you get to that conclusion?"

"Harry I do have a medical degree you know" he sighed "And I've seen the way you keep staring at her stomach…so unless this is some weird type of obsession you have…"

"Don't let on you know" Harry said earnestly "We're waiting until our first scan to let it out officially"

"I won't" Leo assured him "But Harry that's fantastic news" he grinned as he slapped the younger man on the back

"You don't think we're rushing things?" Harry said amazed at Leo's reaction

Leo shook his head "Not at all, I think you'll make the perfect family. Everyone can see how madly you both are in love with one another"

Harry smiled at Leo's praise "What about you and Janet?"

This time it was Leo's turn to nearly choke on his pint "What about me and Janet?" he said weakly

"Have there been any developments" Harry probed

Leo shook his head "I've met up with her for drinks and dinner a couple of times but I have to think of Erin in all of this"

"I thought she got on alright with Janet?"

"She does" Leo answered "But she's going through another big change with starting a new school and settling in. I just want to give her time to adjust before I throw other obstacles in her path. She's a big part of my life and I just want to make her feel safe and happy"

"You're a good father to her" Harry nodded and Leo looked up suddenly "What? Harry questioned

"I never thought of myself as that to her?" Leo said pondering what Harry had said

"A parent?" Leo nodded "Did the phrase 'foster parent' not give it away for you?" Harry teased

Leo rolled his eyes "It doesn't seem all that long ago I found her dripping wet in the car park"

"Let me off the bus if it's going down memory lane" Harry teased and Leo chuckled "Leo in all seriousness which I may not be able to hold for much longer since I'm getting steadily drunk here. I think you're the best thing that has happened to Erin and you are the best foster parent for here, no arguments about that" harry slurred as the alcohol started to take affect

"Nikki is going to have my guts for garters tomorrow" Leo sighed as he watched the alcohol take its effects "We're going to have a tough job sobering you up tomorrow morning" he sighed as Harry started to drunkenly laugh

* * *

The doorbell rang and Nikki went to answer it "Hi Nikki" Janet greeted Nikki as she entered the room

Like Harry, Nikki wanted to keep her party small with only the people she cared about most with her

"I'm so glad you could make it Janet" Nikki grinned

"Hello Erin" Janet greeted the young girl who mumbled her greeting shyly, their relationship was still quite new and Erin was still a little shy around Erin

"Did you finish the question?" Nikki asked Erin who had a folder sprawled across her lap

"Just about" Erin said pencilling the answer in

"Biology homework" Nikki explained to Janet who pulled a face "Come and see my dress" she said pulling Janet to see the garment

"Nikki!" Janet gasped "It's beautiful, who's the designer?"

"They're a very unique brand and only do one off designs" Nikki told Janet "They're professionals and are only known in the inner circles; they don't make dresses just for anyone" Nikki said as she caught Erin's eyes

Erin started to giggle "Am I missing something?" Janet said as she turned to Erin and back to Nikki who had joined in the laughter

"Erin made it for me" Nikki said after she had composed herself

"Erin made this?" Janet gasped and Nikki nodded "But it looks so professional and so…so…"

"….Perfect" Nikki finished for her and Janet nodded "Right let's get my hen party started" she said pulling Erin to her feet as the pair started to giggle once more. Nikki had a fixed grin on her face for the rest of that night as herself, Janet and Erin had a mini celebration. Janet was also smiling too but not for the same reason; she was smiling at the relationship between Erin and Nikki, it was going stronger by the day and Janet was amazed at her confident Erin was in Nikki's presence and how caring Nikki was around the girl, always talking to her and making sure she was alright. Janet sensed there was something more to Erin's story than she had been told but she knew not to push it tonight. Tonight it was Nikki's celebration and nothing was going to ruin it.

**Author's note: Next chapter is the wedding!**


	41. The Wedding Part I

**Author's note: I'm splitting the wedding into parts because it got a little long and long documents crash my laptop. Sorry!**

Nikki woke up the next morning and felt a swoop in her stomach, today was her wedding day and she couldn't be more excited. As she slipped out of bed and wrapped herself in her dressing gown she caught sight of her wedding dress and grinned; Erin had done an impeccable job on it and it was exactly how Nikki had always dreamed her dress would be

"Morning" she greeted Erin who was already up and looking fully awake

"Morning" Erin replied with a grin

Nikki looked at her watch; it was eight thirty which meant they had less than two hours till they had to be at the church, she relayed these details to Erin who nodded solemnly in return

"Let's get made up" Nikki said with a grin as she dragged Erin into her room

* * *

"Harry" Leo prodded the sleepy looking man who just rolled over on the sofa and grunted in reply "Harry!" Leo called again, this time slightly louder

"Leo?" he mumbled sleepily, peering at Leo blearily

"Harry we have less than two hours before you get married and god help us if Nikki sees you in this state" Leo said dragging the tired man up the stairs and into the bathroom

Harry was still half asleep so followed Leo without thinking, Leo on the other hand was fully awake and would do everything in his power to get Harry to the church on time. He shoved Harry into the shower and turned on the water. A jet of freezing water rained down on Harry who yelled at its effects

"Leo, it's freezing!" he bellowed "And I'm still fully clothed"

"You'll thank me for it later" Leo said trying to hide the amusement in his voice

* * *

"Sit still" Nikki sighed as Erin started to squirm again. Nikki pulled another lock of Erin's hair and twisted it into a curl. She'd decided to get Erin ready first before she would get ready herself as she didn't want to ruin or crease her dress if she could help it

"Ouch" Erin winced as Nikki set another section of Erin's hair into place "Is this absolutely necessary?"

"Yes" Nikki said firmly "You'll look lovely when it's done"

"I doubt it" Erin scowled

"If the wind changes direction your face will stay like that" Nikki teased and Erin pulled a face

She set the final section of Erin's hair into place ands the girl sighed with relief as Nikki finished

"There that wasn't so bad was it?" Nikki smiled as she admired her handy work "No go and get your dress on" she said as Erin scampered out of the room

Nikki took up the place where Erin had just been sitting and set about fixing her own hair in place, as she combed her hair she thought of how lucky she was to have found Harry and how excited she was that they were going to be a family very soon. Erin re-entered the room a short while later as Nikki was just finishing her hair; her fine blonder hair was wound into loose curls which settled on her shoulder

"Wow" Erin gasped as she saw Nikki "You look perfect"

"I could say the same for you" Nikki smiled as she saw Erin's dress "You really have an eye for sewing"

Erin flushed as she smoothed out her dress; it was a dark red colour to match the rose bouquet Nikki had, it had short slightly puffed sleeves and the dress finished just below the knee. The colour matched Erin perfectly and Nikki couldn't help but smile at how grown up she looked

* * *

"Harry, are you decent?" Leo asked knocking on the door

"Yes" Harry called as Leo entered and sighed

Harry was standing in the room with his shirt hanging out and his collar sticking up. His hair was ruffled but at least he looked more awake than he did when Leo had first seen him that morning

"You're a mess" Leo shook his head as he tried to sort the younger man out

"You look pretty atrocious yourself" Harry said in reply but Leo could heart the jest in his voice

"Are you nervous Harry?" Leo asked as he passed Harry his suit jacket

"No" Harry said quickly, a little too quickly for the really to be genuine. Leo shot him a look and Harry sighed "Okay then just a little"

Leo smiled "You'll be fine, all you have to say is 'I do'"

"And make a speech" Harry groaned

"Only in front of a few people" Leo reassured him "And anyway so do I"

"There better not be any bad joke in there" Harry grinned

"No but I left the anecdote in there about Barcelona" Leo said and Harry looked at him slightly confused "Harry you don't remember our time hoe could you?" Leo laughed

"You're funny Leo" Harry said sarcastically, realising the older man was winding him up "Who's walking Nikki down the aisle?" he said after a sudden thought

"No one" Leo said "She thought about phoning her father but she decided against it. Personally I think she made the right choice, you and I both know she's better of without him. Anyway Nikki's a modern woman, she's perfectly capable of walking herself down the aisle and she'll have Erin there"

"Ah Erin" Harry smiled "We owe her a lot, she made Nikki's wedding dress and helped her out no end with the arrangements"

Leo smiled proudly "I think she enjoyed it, it was nice of her for you and Nikki to include her. It's made her feel part of a family once more"

Harry nodded "Me and Nikki got her a little present to say thank you" he said motioning to the bag in the corner of the room

"That's very kind of you" Leo said as Harry tried to flatten down his hair

Harry shook his head "We owe her a lot, I doubt we'd even be at the stage without her help"

Leo smiled as Harry smoothed down his suit "You look fine" he assured Harry who was nervously glancing in the mirror

"What time is it?" Harry asked turning to the older man

"Time for you to get married" Leo said as he followed Harry out of the room

* * *

Nikki looked in the mirror and beamed; she'd just finished changing into her wedding and had caught sight of herself in the mirror for the first time

"Does it fit okay?" Erin said as she fastened the dress at the back

Nikki nodded "Perfectly"

Erin smiled to herself as she picked up Nikki's veil from the bed and helped her fasten it into her hair

"I can't believe you made this" Nikki said admiring her outfit in the mirror

"It was nothing really" Erin said modestly as she arranged the skirt of Nikki's dress

Nikki snorted "You are way too modest" she said fixing a curl in place "Me and Harry owe you a lot. We got you a little gift to say thank you which we'll give to you later"

"Nikki" Erin sighed "You didn't have to, I enjoyed doing it"

"Nonsense" Nikki said waving Erin's protests aside "We wouldn't be here without you. Now we need to get you shoes" she said looking down at Erin's bear feet

"I have my school shoes" she said pointing to a battered pair in the corner of the room

"I have a much better idea than that" Nikki said rummaging around in her wardrobe "There we go" she said emerging with a pair of dark red heeled shoes in her hand "These are a little too tight for me but didn't have the heart to throw them away. But I'm perfectly willing to let you adopt them" Nikki grinned

"Nikki, you can't" Erin protested

Nikki shook her head and sat Erin down on the bed "They need a good owner, don't you shoes?" she said as she helped Erin slip them onto her feet and do up the straps

"Thank you" Erin said as Nikki helped her up as she tried to catch her balance

"Maybe if you click your heels three times you'll go home" Nikki teased her

"I am already home" Erin smiled as she tried walking in her new shoes "Maybe if you loose one of your shoes, prince charming will come and fine you" she grinned

"He already has" Nikki laughed "Though first thing in the morning he's prince not-so-charming but we can work on that" Nikki smiled as Erin started to get the hang on walking in heels "You're a natural, now a finishing touch" she said as she fixed a small rose into Erin's hair "There done"

"You lovely" Erin smiled as she admired Nikki in her dress

They heard a car horn beep from outside and Nikki turned to Erin with a grin on her face "Looks like it's time" she said as the pair carefully made their way out of the room arm in arm.


	42. The Wedding Part II

Harry and Leo pulled up outside of the an old small church and stepped out into the cold winter morning

"The sun's out at least" Leo said rubbing his hands to keep warm "That's a good sign"

"Not long now" Harry said nervously

"Are you getting cold feet?" Leo asked the younger man sensing his apprehension

"Cold feet, cold hands and a cold nose. Leo's it's the middle of winter of course I'm cold" Harry laughed and Leo just shook his head

The two of them turned as they heard a car pull up behind them and Leo smiled when he saw who was driving. Janet got out of her car and smoothed her outfit down; she was wearing a lavender coloured dress and a matching jacket over the top to keep warm, which Leo thought suited her perfectly

"Hi" she said getting her with a kiss which she returned

"And I'm scarred for life" Harry joked covering his eyes with his hand

"You just concentrate on getting the words right" Leo said with a sigh

"When's Nikki due?" Janet asked Harry whose face bore an expression of shock

"How do you know Nikki's having a baby?" Harry spluttered

Janet looked shocked "I don't" she said slowly "I meant when is she due to be arriving at the church?"

"Oh" Harry flushed red "Erm…around about ten minutes"

"We'd better go inside then" Leo said "Before Harry causes any more trouble with his mouth"

"Janet" Harry said as they stepped in out of the cold "I'd appreciate if you didn't let Nikki know what I've just told you. We decided we weren't going to tell anyone till our first scan"

"And already he's succeeded in telling me and you" Leo said with a grin "You might want to raise your voice a little louder next time; I don't think Australia quite heard you"

"Is Erin coming along today?" Janet said trying to keep the peace as she looked around for the young girl who normally never left Leo's side

"She's with Nikki" Leo informed Janet "Erin is going to be Nikki's bridesmaid so they're coming together"

"After Nikki has finished dressing Erin up, she spent ages planning how she was going to do Erin's hair, the poor girl doesn't know what she let herself in for" Harry joked

"Are you the groom?" the reverend said coming up behind them

"Yes" Harry grinned

"Well the weddings due to start soon so you better take your places" he smiled at the young man

Leo and Harry stood at the front of the church whilst Janet sat down in one of the pews. The church was very small but Nikki and Harry had only wanted a small wedding with those they deeply cared about around them and in a few minutes Harry knew that this wish was going to come true

* * *

A second car pulled up outside of the church and both Erin and Nikki stepped out of the car and shivered in the cold winter air

"You're going to freeze" Erin told Nikki as she wrapped her hands around herself to keep warm

"I don't care" Nikki said with a grin "I want to show everyone your handiwork"

"Hypothermia is not fun" Erin said solemnly "I should know"

"That is sound advice Erin and I will remember it always" Nikki chuckled "Come here" she pulled the girl towards her "Your hair is getting wind swept" she adjusted the girl's hair and smiled "There you look perfect" she declared

"Ready?" Erin said as they made their way towards the church

"As I'll ever be" Nikki grinned as she gripped Erin's hand as they got ever closer to the church

* * *

"Do I look okay?" Harry asked looking increasingly nervous

"Harry for the fifth time yes" Leo sighed

"What if she doesn't turn up?" Harry said glancing at his watch

"She'll be here" Leo assured the young man

"Am I doing the right thing?" he asked

"Yes" Leo smiled "You and Nikki are perfect for one another anyone can see that"

Harry nodded looking much more reassured, the two of them heard the doors open behind them and music began to play; the ceremony was about to begin

Nikki walked up the aisle followed by Erin; both were beaming and as Harry turned to look at Nikki he gasped at her appearance; she was looking stunning even for Nikki, her dress was immaculate and her hair flowed freely around her shoulders. When Leo turned around he smiled at Nikki's beautiful appearance and how beautiful she looked in the dress, when he saw Erin walking behind Nikki he felt a lump of emotion rise in his throat; she looked so grown up and Nikki really had done a good job on her

"Are we ready to begin?" the reverend asked as Nikki took her place at the altar alongside Harry and Erin took her place alongside Janet and Leo in the church pews

"Yes" Harry and Nikki said in unison

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today…." The revered began but Harry could hardly focus on what he was saying; he couldn't take his eyes of Nikki and how majestic she looked. Nikki was struggling to keep up with the what was being said as well; her heart was fluttering and she couldn't stop smiling. As she and Harry stood hand in hand she realised how right it felt to be with him in this way

"And do you Harry Edward Cunningham take Nicola Elizabeth Alexander to be your lawful wedded wife in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer…" Harry squeezed Nikki's hand, this was the part they had been waiting for so long even if neither of them had ever had the courage to admit it before

"I do" he said relieved he had said his vows correctly and gotten through the whole ceremony without making anymore mistakes

"And do you Nicola Elizabeth Alexander take Harry Edward Cunningham to be your lawful wedded husband…." Nikki took in a deep breath to steady her nerves, this was the moment she had been waiting for

"I do" she said

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife" the revered declared "You may kiss the bride" Harry lifted Nikki's veil away from her face and planted a deep and meaningful kiss of her lips which she returned gratefully

They eventually broke apart, Harry saw their were tears in Nikki's eyes and he hugged her tightly as he surveyed their guests who were smiling along with them. After they had signed the marriage register the group departed from the church with Nikki holding Harry's hand like she would never let it go

"We've got a party set up for you at the lab" Leo informed them as they excited the church to have pictures taken

"Leo you shouldn't have" Nikki gave his a peck on the cheek

"There are a lot of lab technicians who are finally pleased you both sorted it out" Leo said with a grin

Harry took Erin to one side for a moment after the pictures had been taken "I wanted to thank you" he said to her "You've made Nikki's day perfect by making her dress"

Erin shrugged "I think you made her day perfect" she said shivering slightly in the cold air

Harry took off hid jacket and wrapped it round the young girl's shoulders "You're freezing" he told her

"So is Nikki" Erin protested

"Yeah but she's stubborn and wants to show off her dress" Harry laughed "Now come on we've got a party to go to"


	43. The Wedding Part III

Leo stood up hastily and cleared his throat; the party in the lab was in full swing and he knew the time had come to give his speech

"Ladies and gentlemen" he said "And Harry" the young man frowned at him but Leo continued "Unfortunately it has come to that time where I am obliged to give a speech"

There were a few groans, mainly from Harry but he was soon silenced but an elbow in the ribs from Nikki.

Leo nodded to her gratefully and continued "I don't know about you all but I am thrilled Harry and Nikki have _finally_ gotten together" There were a few laughs from some of the lab technicians who agreed with what Leo was saying "I am so proud of them both, they are like…well they are my family and to see them both so happy together at last despite all they have been through is just wonderful. I'll keep it a short speech but I just want to wish them a lifetime of happiness and tell them to hold on to each other no matter what because it is so easy to loose the ones you love. But really all you need in this life is one person who loves you dearly, Harry and Nikki have that person, they have each other. As long as they have that then I know they will be happy"

Leo sat down to a round of applause and he turned to Nikki who had tears in her eyes "That was lovely Leo" she said pecking him on the cheek

Now it was time for Harry's speech, he stood up and cleared his throat nervously "When I first met Nikki, I knew she was something special, not only because she had bypassed the security systems and managed to gatecrash the lab but because she was different from other women. Nikki has this wonderful spark about her; she is a kind, intelligent, caring woman who always puts others before her. I knew from the moment I met her that she was the one for me. It's not been easy, we've been through a lot together and it didn't really help with relations turning up, whether they be dead or alive, and for a while I didn't think we'd ever move on from the 'close friends' stage but that all changed when we a certain someone dropped into the lab" he turned to Erin with a grin "When Erin came into our lives, she brought out the side in Nikki that people seem to forget about; Nikki showed her kind and compassionate side, she was there for Erin through the hard times and everyone could see how devoted she was to trying to solve the case. I know this is a side Nikki tires to hide because she is afraid of being hurt but she threw herself whole heartedly into it, even if Erin was a total stranger at the time. I knew from that point onwards that the feelings I tried to hide before were still there and I knew I loved Nikki more than a 'friend' should. And so thanks to the wonderful invention that is alcohol we finally got together and I can tell you, the hangover was worth it. Nikki I love you so much, more than I can say in a little speech like this. I just hope I can give you the lifetime of happiness you deserve" he sat down and gave Nikki, a brief but passionate kiss on the lips

Now it was time for Nikki to stand up "I know it's not traditional for the bride to give a speech, but since there is no one to speak on my behalf, I'll just do it myself, being the modern woman that I am" she said with a grin "When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of finding m perfect prince charming. But as I grew up and pretty much became invisible to the opposite sex I gave up on that idea. I did not think in my wildest dreams that a morgue in London would be the place I first laid eyes on my future husband. Harry and I have had our ups and downs, probably more downs than ups but you can't blame gravity for everything" Nikki giggled nervously "But he's always been there for me, even when my whole world seems to be crashing down in front of me, he's always been there to pick up the pieces. I always thought we'd just be friends but since Erin came I saw him through different eyes, he was the prince charming I'd dreamed about, despite what he looks like first thing in the morning, I realise then I cared for him in a different way. I hardly dared admit it to myself but there was always something telling me that I loved him. I'm not saying it's been easy or that it will be easy but Harry I'd rather muck things up with you than anyone else" she said leaning over and giving him a kiss

"Thanks I think" he grinned as she sat down

"Don't mention it" she said smoothing out her dress

"I am so proud of you" Leo smiled at the newly wed couple "Both of you"

"Don't you mean the three of us?" Harry said and Erin who was standing next to them looked up in shock

"Three?" she questioned and they could see her doing the calculation in her head "Nikki are you?"

"Harry!" Nikki groaned "We said we were going to wait. Please tell me no one else knows"

"Only Leo and Janet" Harry said sheepishly

Nikki groaned "You have the world's biggest mouth Mr Cunningham"

"And you married it Mrs Cunningham"

"Don't you Mrs Cunningham me!" she scolded him "We're married now and that means you no longer have a say in the arguments and you are automatically wrong"

"Yes dear" Harry said sheepishly and Leo laughed

Nikki turned to Erin "Since Harry told everyone else I am going to tell you myself" she smiled "Yes I am"

Erin looked around with a slightly unsure expression on her face "Is that a good thing?" she asked

"Yes Erin" Nikki nodded "It's a very good thing"

"Good" Erin said with a smile

Harry pulled Nikki into his arms "We're married now" he said with a grin "And we have the whole future ahead of us"

"Who knows where it's going to go" Nikki smiled

"I don't care as long as I'm with you" Harry said kissing her tenderly on the lips

**Author's note: Last chapter next! **


	44. Home is where the heart is

_9 months later…._

"Erin, can you get that?" Leo called and Erin scampered to the front door. She opened it and grinned as she saw Harry and Nikki standing there with a baby carrier accompanying them

"Hi" she said as they stepped into the house

"Hey you" Harry said getting her warmly "You've put on another growth spurt" he said eyeing her up and down

"Tell me about it" they turned around to see Leo standing behind them "She's not economical at all"

"Hey ssh" Nikki cooed down at the baby carrier where little noises were coming from

The group moved into the living room and Nikki set the baby carrier down so everyone could welcome the new arrival. She took the small ,wrapped up bundle out of the carrier and pushed back the blankets slightly; inside was Nikki and Harry's new baby daughter; she had a tuft of wispy blonde hair and as she opened her dark blue eyes to look at everyone she let out a small gurgling noise

"Nikki, she's gorgeous" Leo said smiling

"I know" Nikki said proudly

"What did you name her?"

"Alice Erin Cunningham" Nikki smiled happily as she fussed over the small bundle in her arms

"Erin?" Erin said looking up in shock from the corner of the room she was sitting in

"Of course" Nikki nodded "Well we wanted her to have some link to her godmother…"

"…Her godmother?" Erin spluttered in shock

Nikki and Harry nodded "She's going to need her Aunty Erin around"

"Thank you" Erin whispered and they could have sworn they saw tears in her eyes

"And she's going to need a godfather as well" Nikki said to Harry

"Who could we choose?" Harry asked playing along

"I just don't know" Nikki laughed "How about Leo"

"I think he'll do" Harry said as he looked up at the older man who was beaming

"I think I'll go and get us some drinks to celebrate" Leo said turning away before the others saw the tears rolling down his cheeks

"I'll come and help" Harry said following the man into the kitchen

A few moments later the baby started crying and despite Nikki's soothing, she seemed intent on crying louder and louder

"Erin can you take her a second?" Nikki said over the crying "I need to get something from my bag"

"Nikki, I don't know" Erin said apprehensively

"Erin, its fine, just support her head" Nikki said gently placing the baby in Erin's arms

The baby looked up at Erin and suddenly stopped crying "Did I break her?" Erin cried but when she looked down again the little baby had curled her fingers around Erin's thumb and was gurgling happily

Nikki smiled "You're a natural"

"Who's a natural?" Harry asked coming back into the room, followed by Leo who was carrying a tray of drinks

"Erin is" Nikki nodded to the young girl "Alice was crying and as soon as Erin took her she stopped

Harry laughed gently "You've got hidden depths Miss Jones; you're a talented artist, a seamstress and now it seems a nursemaid"

"Dalton" Erin said suddenly

"Sorry?" Harry said sitting down in a chair

"Erin _Dalton_" she stressed

Harry and Nikki turned to Leo with confused looks on their faces "Leo?" Harry said

"You explain Erin" Leo prompted the young girl who was grinning

"Leo's adopting me" Erin said proudly

"Really?" Nikki asked and Leo nodded "That's wonderful news"

"So as of today she becomes Erin Marie Dalton" Leo smiled and Erin nodded enthusiastically

"It's got a ring to it" Harry teased and Leo laughed

As Erin looked around the room she felt a surge of joy overtake her; she was with her family and although no one in the room were not biologically related to her and only one person was now legally related to her, she had never felt a bigger sense of belonging than she did now. She was around people she loved and cared about and who reciprocated these feelings. As she glanced down at her new goddaughter she smiled to herself. She was no longer a stray because after al these years Erin knew that she was finally home.

**Author's note: I thought this would be a good place to finish this story. Thanks to all who have reviewed:**

**Charlotte88**

**Enigma87**

**Ladydalek **

**Langfieldl**

**Lilypad1**

**1993**

**It means so such to me to have your support and comments. I hope you enjoyed the story, I am going to use Erin again, I have a couple of one-shots planned and I might possibly have another story with Erin in it being planned if anyone wants to read it. What do you guys think? Like I said I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)**


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